Explaining Why Whole, Unrefined Grains are Better for Diabetics, Nature and role of Whole Grain Cereals in Nutrition
Free ADA Fact Sheet Booklet - Whole Grains Made Easy

ADA Diet Plan, By John Briggs, eHow Contributing Writer .

Oprah.com / - Featured Food: Whole Grains, By Aine McAteer
Reference
See : William L Schneider, Nutrition Concepts and Applications, McGrAw-Hill, Publishers
Nutrient
Amount in 
White Flour
Amount in
Whole Wheat
Total Fat   1 gram  2 grams
   Saturated fat  trace  trace
   Monounsaturated fat  trace  trace
   Polyunsaturated fat  1 gram  1 gram
   Cholesterol  0 gram  0 gram
Total Carbohydrate   95 gram  87 gram
   Dietary fiber >>>>>  4 grams  15 grams
Protein >>>>>>>>>>  13 grams  16 grams
Sodium   3 mg  6 mg
Potassium >>>>>>>  134 mg  486 mg
Calcium >>>>>>>>>  19 mg  41 mg
Iron   6 mg  5 mg
Zinc >>>>>>>>>>>>  1 mg  4 mg
Calories  455 KCal   407 KCal
     
Comparing the Nutritional Values of Refined White Flour with Unrefined Whole Wheat Flour,
Instant White Rice with Whole Grain Brown Rice
Nutritional Facts for 1 cup of flour, White vs. whole wheat
The nutrient content of unrefined whole wheat flour differs considerably from that of refined white flour when it comes to dietary fiber, protein, potassium, calcium and zinc content. The unrefined, whole grain flour has a higher nutritional value. This nutritional data is comparable with that of the SR20 Release of the USDA and the National Research Laboratories.

Note that, for rice, the density is very different. A cup of whole grain brown rice weighs 190 grams while the same volume of instant rice weighs only 95 grams. Brown rice is not only heavier, it also has almost twice the amount of energy. Diabetics should adjust intake accordingly. People who wish to better control their blood pressure should note that the potassium content of a cup of brown rice is almost 30 times that of the instant rice, making whole grain brown rice a much better choice.
See : The United States Department of Agriculture / National Research Laboratories
Nutrient
Amount in 
White Rice
Amount in
Brown Rice
Total Fat   0 gram  5 grams
   Saturated fat  trace  1 gram
   Monounsaturated fat  trace  2 grams
   Polyunsaturated fat  trace  2 grams
   Cholesterol  0 gram  0 gram
Total Carbohydrate >>  79 gram  145 grams
   Dietary fiber >>>>>  2 grams  3 grams
Protein >>>>>>>>>>  7 grams  14 grams
Sodium   6 mg  8 mg
Potassium >>>>>>>  17 mg  509 mg
Calcium >>>>>>>>>  17 mg  63 mg
Iron   4 mg  3 mg
Zinc >>>>>>>>>>>>  1 mg  4 mg
Calories   360 KCal  688 KCal
     
Nutritional Facts for 1 cup of rice,
Instant vs. Brown, natural or organic
Unrefined, complex, whole grains sources for every day dietary needs, examples.
Fortunately, finding sources of unrefined, whole AND complex carbohydrates has become a lot easier. Some major brands - Uncle Ben's and Dainty - even offer an instant whole grain brown rice version found in most supermarkets. Other big suppliers of starchy products (poly-saccharides, i.e. complex) have been very prompt in recognizing a coming trend and have started to strongly emphasize the word WHOLE on their packaging. Such products are mostly derived from cereals. Note that some products labeled as "multi-grain" may contain refined flour, and have an artificial brown color. These products do not provide the health benefits provided by unrefined whole grains. The label and content listing must absolutely say "WHOLE", not just multi-grain, natural,biologic or organic.

While planning a diabetic diet, a heart care diet or a weight control diet, one should remember the following nutritional principles:


You will find, below some examples of complex and unrefined (whole) carbohydrate sources that are easy to locate in any supermarket.
Breads and other bakery products that are labelled as WHOLE (whole wheat, whole grain) are good sources of unrefined carbohydrates derived from grains .
Pasta products that are labelled as WHOLE (whole wheat, whole grain spaghetti, macaroni, lasagna... etc,) are good sources of unrefined carbohydrates derived from grains .
Rice products that are labelled as WHOLE (whole grain brown rice) are good sources of unrefined carbohydrates .
Many unsweetened breakfast cereals come as whole grain, such as bran flakes and oatmeal.
While whole grain flour can be a source of unrefined carbohydrates, baking with this flour may require you to change your techniques.
Whole grain cereals, such as whole barley (NOT pearl barley) can be used in many soup recipes. Soups are an excellent way of introducing unrefined whole grains in the daily diet.
Diabetics may want to compare the glycemic index of refined and unrefined grains (an indication of how fast blood glucose will rise after ingestion). The results vary according to brands and types of crops. But, on the whole, the unrefined grains tend to have a lower index. For example, the GI of white rice is, on average, around 68. The GI of brown (whole, natural) rice is between 50 and 55.

NGBeditor.
No matter what leaflet or brochure one reads on the subject of either diabetes, heart disease or weight control, the authors always recommend to choose whole-grain sources of carbohydrate. Others even mention the word "complex" carbohydrates and add to one's confusion. Ooops! Had always thought complex carbs and unrefined or whole carbs were actually the same thing? ...but just different words! Welcome to one of the largest clubs in the whole world. Most people assume complex and whole carbs to be the same. Understanding the difference can be very instrumental in your planning a more efficient meal. In fact, "complex" carb designation and "whole" carb designation have absolutely nothing to do with each other.

The term "Complex" refers to the structure of the (longer) molecule, in opposition to "simple" (shorter) carbohydrate. The shorter simple molecule is absorbed very quickly and produces a sharp rise in glycemia (the measure of blood sugar-glucose levels. note: UK: glycaemia).

The term "Whole" refers to the absence of the refining process that removes a lot of the very good things in grain-based foods, such as the bran and the germ and to retain only the endosperm. The phytochemicals, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals associated with those components are thus missing. So are the benefits that would have been derived from these.


In order to first define or differentiate simple and complex carbohydrate molecules, let us look at a simplified diagrammatic representation.

A simple carbohydrate molecule is sometimes called a mono-saccharide, meaning it has only one molecule of sugar (of any kind: glucose, fructose...etc), it could be represented like so:

[Glucose]

It can also be a little more complex and be chemically bonded to another one, in which case it is called a di-saccharide:

[Glucose] + [Glucose]

It can, of course become more complex and be bonded to many more sugar molecules. It will then be called a poly-saccharide:

[Glucose] + [Glucose] + [Glucose] + [Glucose] + [Glucose]....+

Starch molecules would be a good example of the above chain of sugar molecules. In order to enter the blood stream as pure glucose, some digestive work has to be performed. Complex carbohydrates require more time to raise glycaemia, on account of this digestive work that has to be done, The molecules need to be broken down to smaller pieces before you can use them as fuel for the cells. This spreads their absorption in time and, as a rule, complex carbohydrate is considered better for diabetics.
This explains why getting 20 grams of carbs from corn syrup and 20 grams of carbs from red kidney beans produce dramatically different effects on your blood sugar levels at any one time.

What about "whole" or "unrefined" carbs then ?

For diabetics, heart patients or weight loss seekers, the terms "refined flour" or "white flour" should actually mean : poor, deprived of any, impoverished. In olden days, because the preservation of "whole" or "unrefined" milling products was more difficult and generated more spoil, producers began to remove fibers and oils and other nutrients from the unprocessed natural grain. This is the origin of the present day refining process. The impoverished product lasted longer on the shelves of merchants. White flour was pictured as a luxury product and everybody started buying it. As often happens, bottom line greed and consumer pride had triumphed over reason. Nobody in those days would have dared to flash a baloney sandwich with brownish slices of bread; everybody wanted to show they followed the trend. The facts are that a diabetic or a cardiac person would have fared much better flashing more natural brown bread slices with a leaner source of protein between them.

Why ?
Some of the substances that were removed during the refining process would have required digestive work to be performed, thus spreading in time the appearance of glucose in the blood stream. Natural soluble fibers would have been some of the most important contributors in slowing down the absorption of glucose. Soluble fibers are often absent from refined grain products. So, knowing this, diabetics may want to hunt for the whole-grain label at all times. Most major brands are good. (The natural, biologic or organic products are generally whole, but more expensive.)

Theory has it (and practice also has it) that a diabetic person should strive to select carbohydrate foods that belong either to the complex or whole variety. When possible one can choose to introduce foods that belong to both categories. For instance, adding legumes (chickpeas, beans, lentils) to a recipe will introduce a nutriment that is both complex and whole... the best of the best. At a convention on heart disease prevention, the rightly famed cardiologist Dr. Caldwell B Esselstyn MD is reported to have quoted a colleague of his as saying something like; "to prevent or cure : have them eat beans, beans and more beans !" ...of course, no pork or bacon was inferred. Legumes happen to be some the best nutrients, yet they will contribute very little to a restaurant's bottom line. They may however help one's waistline a lot !

The above facts partly explain why the glycemic index of similar foods varies according to the manner in which they were processed. Both the American Diabetic Association and the American Heart Association advocate choosing complex carbohydrate sources and the unprocessed, unrefined whole grains for scientifically proven reasons, and so does the American Dietetic association.

Below are a diagram and table showing the composition of a whole seed and the nutritional losses that occur during the refining process.
Unrefined, Whole Grains and Type 2 Diabetes,
the health benefits from eating unrefined whole grains and complex carbohydrate.
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and their Nutritional Benefits
hM Health Care Video Selection: "Benefits of Whole Grains" with Cynthia Harriman, Director, The Whole Grains Council. Source of Video: General Mills.
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