Abstract
The consumption of whole grain products is often related to beneficial effects on consumer health. Dietary fibre is an important component present in whole grains and is believed to be (at least partially) responsible for these health benefits. The dietary fibre composition of whole grains is very distinct over different grains. Whole grains of cereals and pseudo-cereals are rich in both soluble and insoluble functional dietary fibre that can be largely classified as e.g., cellulose, arabinoxylan, β-glucan, xyloglucan and fructan. However, even though the health benefits associated with the consumption of dietary fibre are well known to scientists, producers and consumers, the consumption of dietary fibre and whole grains around the world is substantially lower than the recommended levels. This review will discuss the types of dietary fibre commonly found in cereals and pseudo-cereals, their nutritional significance and health benefits observed in animal and human studies.
Highlights
Consumers worldwide are interested in a healthy diet
This review will discuss the types of dietary fibre commonly found in cereals and pseudo-cereals, their nutritional significance and health benefits observed in animal and human studies
This study revealed that there is an inverse relationship between the total and cereal dietary fibre consumption and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes [122]
Summary
Consumers worldwide are interested in a healthy diet. Whole grain products, encompassing both cereals and pseudo-cereals, should constitute an important part of this healthy diet. It is widely accepted that it is through their high dietary fibre levels that these whole grain products play a very important role in the prevention and alleviation of NCDs. The term ‘whole grain products’ refers to products that are made with a relative proportion of bran, germ and endosperm tissue equal to what would naturally occur in intact grains [4]. The starchy endosperm is further size-reduced to a fine white flour During this process, the most functional part of a wheat kernel may be purified in the fine white flour to achieve the best quality end product, from a nutritional point of view, the refining process removes vital nutrients, dietary fibre and other phytochemicals from the other grain parts. The study indicated clearly that, on a global scale, whole grain consumption levels are far below the recommended levels (at least 2.5 servings/day)
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