Explain why cereals are important in the diet

Food sources of vitamin E contribution from cereals and cereal products in the average Polish diet; Table S Food sources of vitamin C contribution from cereals and cereal products in the average Polish diet. All authors participated in conclusions, read and approved the final manuscript.

National Center for Biotechnology Information , U. Journal List Nutrients v. Published online Mar Author information Article notes Copyright and License information Disclaimer. Received Jan 31; Accepted Mar This article has been cited by other articles in PMC. Associated Data Supplementary Materials nutrientss Abstract The main aim of this study was to identify the food sources of energy and 28 nutrients from cereals and cereal products in the average Polish diet based on data from a nationally representative sample of the Polish population attending in Household Budget Survey i.

Keywords: cereals, cereal products, energy intake, nutrient intake, food sources, household budget survey. Introduction Cereals and cereal products are staple foods in most human diets [ 1 , 2 , 3 ], in both developed and developing countries, providing a major proportion of dietary energy and nutrients.

Methods 2. Study Overview Sources of energy and nutrient supply from cereals and cereal products were studied. Open in a separate window. Figure 1. Their main tasks are as follows [ 54 ]: to visit every household at least four times a month, give instructions how to collect data and explain doubts; to conduct an interview in every household at the end of the month on income, expenses and living conditions; to collect, control and analyze the data recorded by the household; to enter data into the CSO system; to conduct interviews in quarterly cycle regarding household equipment, fixed assets and real estate.

Food Consumption Data The basis for the calculations was the detailed data from each of the 36, households with information characterizing households i. Food Grouping Food products were aggregated into 91 sub-groups, 42 main groups and 13 categories Table S1. Table 1 Main groups and sub-groups in the category of cereals and cereal products.

Main Groups Sub-Groups rice, cooked grains rice groats and cereal grains bread, rolls, bread products bread and rolls quick breads and other bread products pizza, pasta and other flour dishes pasta, macaroni, noodles pizza and other flour dishes flour, bran, cooking ingredients wheat flour other flours ready-to-eat cereals breakfast cereals.

Results Format For the purpose of this study, the level of supply of energy and 28 nutrients were calculated for one cereal food category; five main groups; and nine detailed sub-groups. A three-stage method of presenting the results was adopted: 1. Results Average consumption of cereal products is presented in Table 2.

Figure 2. Table 2 Average consumption of cereals and cereal products in Polish households. Table 4 Macronutrients, dietary fibre, fatty acids and cholesterol: contribution by cereals and cereal products to the average Polish, top three main groups and fulfillment of the reference values.

Total fat SFA Table 5 Minerals: contribution by cereals and cereal products to the average Polish diet, top two main groups and fulfillment of the reference values. Table 6 Vitamins: contribution by cereals and cereal products to the average Polish, their top two main groups and fulfillment of the reference values.

Food Group energy carbohydrates dietary fibre protein total fat SFA MUFA PUFA cholesterol calcium phosphorus sodium potassium magnesium iron zinc copper manganese iodine thiamin riboflavin niacin vitamin B6 folate vitamin B12 vitamin A vitamin D vitamin E vitamin C bread, rolls, bread products 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 3 flour, bran, cooking ingredients 2 2 2 2 3 3 4 2 3 2 5 3 4 2 2 2 4 5 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 pizza, pasta and other flour dishes 3 3 5 3 2 2 2 3 2 2 3 3 2 5 4 3 4 5 2 5 3 5 5 3 2 2 2 2 1 ready-to-eat cereal 5 5 3 5 4 4 3 4 4 5 2 5 3 3 5 5 3 3 4 4 3 4 4 4 3 4 2 rice, cooked grains 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 4 4 4 2 5 4 3 2 4 3 5 4 3 5 5.

Cereal and Cereal Product Consumption Consumption of cereals and cereal products is presented in Table 2. Cereals and Cereal Products as Sources of Carbohydrates, Dietary Fibre, Protein, Total Fats, Fatty Acids, and Cholesterol As can be seen in Table 4 , cereals and cereal products provided approximately half the average supply of carbohydrates and dietary fibre, one fourth of the protein and one sixth of the polyunsaturated fatty acids, while less than one tenth of the saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids and cholesterol came from the cereal category.

Cereals and Cereal Products as Sources of Vitamins As shown in Table 6 , cereals and cereal products provided one third of the total supply of folic acid. Result Summary In conclusion, our results emphasize the importance of cereals and cereal products in providing nutrients at a higher level than energy for manganese, carbohydrates, dietary fibre, iron, folate, and copper Figure 2.

Discussion Cereals and cereal products form a significant part of the diet in Poland as contributors of energy and many nutrients.

Conclusions In conclusion, this study indicated that cereals and cereal products are important sources of energy and nutrients in the average Polish diet.

Acknowledgments The authors are grateful to the Central Statistical Office in Warsaw; the analysis was conducted based on the primary data of the Household Budget Survey. Click here for additional data file. Author Contributions W. Conflicts of Interest The authors declare no conflict of interest. References 1. McKevith B. Nutritional aspects of cereals.

Kushi L. Cereals, legumes, and chronic disease risk reduction: evidence from epidemiologic studies. McIntosh G. Cereal foods, fibres and the prevenation of cancers. World Health Organization. Diet, Nutrition and the Prevention of Chronic Diseases. WHO; Genewa, Switzerland: World Food Situation. Cereal production and inventories to decline but overall supplies remain adequate.

Papanikolaou Y. Certain grain foods can be meaningful contributors to nutrient density in the diets of U. Diet Assoc. Rubio C. Daily dietary intake of iron, copper, zinc and manganese in a Spanish population. Food Sci. Yamada M. Estimation of intakes of copper, zinc, and manganese in Japanese adults using day semi-weighed diet records. Asia Pac. Schlemmer U. Phytate in foods and significance for humans: Food sources, intake, processing, bioavailability, protective role and analysis. Food Res.

Hunt J. Biaoavailability of iron, zinc, and other trace minerals from vegetarian diets. Plasma levels of copper, manganese and selenium in an adult population in southern Spain: Influence of age, obesity and lifestyle factors. Total Environ. Avila D. Springer; Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Manganese in Health and Disease; pp.

Chen P. Manganese metabolism in humans. Watts D. The nutritional relationships of manganese. Soetan K. The importance of mineral elements for humans, domestic animals and plants. African J. Bach Knudsen K. Ludwig D. Dietary carbohydrates: Role of quality and quantity in chronic disease. Gellynck X. Consumer perception of bread quality. Aune D. Whole grain consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and all cause and cause specific mortality: systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies.

Mayor S. Eating more fibre linked to reduced risk of non-communicable diseases and death, review finds. Reynolds A. Carbohydrate quality and human health: A series of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

Lancet London, England ; — Huang T. Consumption of whole grains and cereal fiber and total and cause-specific mortality: prospective analysis of , individuals. BMC Biol.

Kim Y. Dietary fiber intake and total mortality: A meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Zhou X. McRae M. Seal C. Whole-grain foods and chronic disease: evidence from epidemiological and intervention studies. Gani A. Food Process.

Tang G. Bechthold A. Food groups and risk of coronary heart disease, stroke and heart failure: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies. Chen J. Asia Pacific J. Public Heal. De Munter J. PLoS Med. Healthy eating. Home Healthy eating. Cereals and wholegrain foods. Actions for this page Listen Print. Summary Read the full fact sheet. On this page. Types of grains, wholegrains and cereals Nutritional content of wholegrain cereals Benefits of wholegrain cereals Protective chemicals in wholegrains When wholegrains are refined Wholegrains help protect against heart disease Wholegrains and type 2 diabetes Wholegrains and weight management Wholegrains, cereals and bowel health Wholegrain cereals and cancer Wholegrain cereals are recommended for health Choosing bread Where to get help.

Types of grains, wholegrains and cereals Grains include wheat, barley, oat, rye, corn, rice, millet and triticale.

Nutritional content of wholegrain cereals Wholegrains consist of three major parts, including: bran — the outer layer of the grain which contains fibre, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins and minerals endosperm — the main part of the grain, which contains mainly starch germ — the smallest part of the grain, which contains vitamin E, folate, thiamine, phosphorus, and magnesium.

Benefits of wholegrain cereals Wholegrain cereals are a rich source of many essential vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals compounds found in plant foods that have been linked to significant health benefits.

The typical wholegrain cereal food is: low in saturated fat, but is a source of polyunsaturated fats, including omega-3 linolenic acid cholesterol-free high in soluble and insoluble fibre, and resistant starch an excellent source of carbohydrates a significant source of protein a good source of B group vitamins, including folate a good source of many minerals, such as iron, magnesium, copper, phosphorus and zinc a good source of antioxidants and phytochemicals that can help lower blood cholesterol levels.

Protective chemicals in wholegrains Wholegrain cereals contain many different phytochemicals which have been linked to significant health benefits. These phytochemicals include: lignans — which can lower the risk of coronary heart disease, and slow or turn back cancers in animals phytic acid — which reduces the glycaemic index GI of food.

This may be important for people with diabetes, and helps protect against the development of cancer cells in the colon saponins, phytosterols, squalene, oryzanol and tocotrienols — which have been found to lower blood cholesterol phenolic compounds — which have antioxidant effects. When wholegrains are refined When grains are refined for example, to produce white flour , the bran and germ layers are generally removed, leaving only the endosperm.

Wholegrains help protect against heart disease Eating wholegrain cereal foods especially those with fibre from oats or barley is associated with protective effects against heart disease in adults. Wholegrains and type 2 diabetes Results from the Nurses Health Studies I and II showed that two serves of wholegrain cereal foods each day can reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 21 per cent. Wholegrains and weight management People who are overweight or obese tend to have energy-dense diets.

Wholegrains, cereals and bowel health High-fibre foods such as wholegrain cereal products increase movement of food through the digestive tract. Wholegrain cereals and cancer Eating one to three serves of wholegrain cereals high in dietary fibre each day is associated with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer in adults. Notably, most of this sugar comes from processed foods — and breakfast cereals are among the most popular processed foods that are high in added sugars.

Starting the day with a high-sugar breakfast cereal will spike your blood sugar and insulin levels. A few hours later, your blood sugar may crash, and your body will crave another high-carb meal or snack — potentially creating a vicious cycle of overeating 5. Excess consumption of sugar may also increase your risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancer 6 , 7 , 8.

Most breakfast cereals are loaded with sugar and refined grains. High sugar consumption is harmful and may increase your risk of several diseases. However, studies show that these health claims are an effective way to mislead people into believing that these products are healthier 9 , Breakfast cereals often have misleading health claims printed on the box — yet are filled with sugar and refined grains.

This also affects taste preferences. Studies show that some children prefer the taste of foods that have popular cartoon characters on the packaging 11 , Exposure to food marketing is even considered a risk factor for childhood obesity and other diet-related diseases While the colors and cartoons make the products more appealing to children, the health claims make the parents feel better about buying such products for their kids.

Cereal manufacturers are experts at marketing — especially toward children. If you choose to eat cereal for breakfast, here are some tips to help you select a healthier option. Try to choose a breakfast cereal with under 5 grams of sugar per serving. Read the food label to find out how much sugar the product contains. Breakfast cereals that pack at least 3 grams of fiber per serving are optimal. Eating enough fiber can have numerous health benefits Breakfast cereals tend to be crunchy and tasty, and it can be very easy to consume a high number of calories.

Ignore the health claims on the front of the box, making sure to check the ingredients list. Librarian Toolkit. Advisory Boards Faculty. Case Studies. Industry Sector Collections. Resources for Industry Scientists. Librarians Supporting Information Discovery and Access. Supporting Researchers in Publishing. University Researchers. About About Us.

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