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If you heard of a magic compound that would reduce your risk of heart attack by 20-25 percent, would you be interested? If you learned of a dietary substance that could reduce your risk of colorectal cancer by 30-60 percent, would you want to buy it? If you could consume a miracle product that would actually work in conjunction with your diet and exercise program to help you lose weight and keep it off, would you want it?

These products exist, don’t require a prescription (or even a doctor visit), are inexpensive and are available here in Charlotte. The magic substance is whole grains. And there are some new and surprising data about these old products.

Peasant better than privileged

Whole grains and products made from them have been around for thousands of years, so you would think that we already would have taken advantage of whatever health benefits they could provide. However, diets in the United States changed with the Industrial Revolution. Unprocessed foods used to be a diet mainstay; only wealthy people could afford extravagant products like pure white sugar and soft white bread made from refined flour. Available just to the upper class, a diet of refined products was known as a “privileged” diet. Commoners ate what was known as the “peasant” diet, consisting of unrefined products that we now know are healthier.

Food-processing machinery made it possible to produce refined (white) flour and sugar more cheaply than ever before. As these products seeped into our diets, our tastes changed over the years and generations. Refined flour and sugar consumption has risen steadily for 150 years, with sugar consumption skyrocketing in the past 35 years. In 1900, Americans consumed about 3.5 ounces of sugar per person every day, or 82 pounds per person per year. By 2000, sugar consumption had nearly doubled to 6.6 ounces per person, or more than 150 pounds per year. During this same period, it is estimated that whole-grain consumption has fallen by 90 percent, to less than one serving per day.

What are whole grains?

Grains include a wide variety of plant seeds (kernels), including wheat, corn, rice, oats, barley, millet, milo, spelt, quinoa, rye and others. Whole grain means that the grain is unprocessed and intact and that the products made from them contain all three key portions of the natural seed as they grow in the field: the bran, the germ and the endosperm.

The bran, the multilayered outer skin of the kernel, is tough enough to protect the other two parts of the kernel from assaults by sunlight, pests, water and disease. It contains important antioxidants, B vitamins, fiber and 60 percent of the grain’s minerals.

The germ is the embryo, which, if fertilized by pollen, will sprout into a new plant. It contains many B vitamins, vitamin E, protein, minerals and healthy fats.

The endosperm is the germ’s food supply, which provides essential energy to the young plant for growth. The endosperm is by far the largest portion of the kernel. It contains starchy carbohydrates, proteins and small amounts of vitamins and minerals.

Refining removes the bran and the germ, leaving only the endosperm. Without the bran and germ, about 25-30 percent of a grain’s protein is lost, along with at least 17 key nutrients.

Once ground, whole grains begin to lose their nutritional benefits because of exposure to air. If a food label states that the package contains whole grain, the product is required to have virtually the same proportions of bran, germ, and endosperm as the harvested kernel does before it is processed.

Health benefits and whole grains

Coronary heart disease kills 700,000 Americans each year, making it the leading cause of death. A number of long-term studies released within the past six years have shown a strong relationship between whole-grain consumption and reduced heart disease.

One 10-year study of 75,000 patients showed a 30-40 percent decreased risk of coronary heart disease for those with the highest whole-grain consumption. This benefit was even stronger among nonsmokers.

Another study showed a 21 percent reduction in all forms of heart ailments in patients who got their fiber primarily from grains, rather than the same amount of fiber from fruits and vegetables. This result was surprising because nutritionists believed that fiber itself was the main protective agent against heart disease, regardless of the source.

In addition to the well-known heart protection benefits, whole grains have been shown to help protect against cancer, diabetes and obesity. One study concluded that people who consumed 34 grams of fiber per day from whole grains could reduce their risk of colorectal cancer by 66 percent. A Tufts University study found that people who eat three or more servings of whole grains a day significantly reduce their risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. And although it may seem counterintuitive, other studies have linked higher whole-grain consumption with lower risk of weight gain. Women who consumed the highest amount of whole grains had a 49 percent lower risk of major weight gain than did the women who ate the least amount of whole grains.

But what about carbs?

Some of the recent fad diets limit carbohydrates, claiming that they are bad for your health. But all carbs are not created equally. The real problem is the sugar content. For example, two slices of Great Harvest Honey Whole Wheat bread contain the same number of carbs as a can of soda, but the bread is more nutritious. Carbs are good for you, if you choose the right ones.

Nutrition experts suggest we consume three to six servings of whole grains per day. To increase your intake of whole grains, try brown rice instead of white. Switch to whole grain cereals. Become an educated consumer and learn to read product labels. Know that wheat flour, if it doesn’t say “whole,” is really white flour.

Jeff and Janet Ganoung bake fresh bread made from hard spring Montana whole wheat, ground daily at the Great Harvest Bread Company on South Kings Drive in Charlotte. The freshly ground flour provides maximum natural nutrition and a longer shelf life without artificial preservatives. For more information call 704-333-0431.