Whole grain products make hearts happy

Grain Drain

It’s a modern version of the old bait and switch.

An unsuspecting grocery shopper wheels his cart up to the bread aisle and picks up a loaf with the words “whole grains” splashed across the packaging. Must be good, right? Whole grains are good, right?

Ah, the old bait and switch succeeds again. The majority of “whole grain” bread and cereal products offered in standard supermarkets contain only traces of actual whole grains. So most of us have to go a little out of our way to find the real thing.

As studies have documented, your heart benefits when you make the extra effort to be sure you’re consuming genuine whole grain products. But a new study reveals that whole grain intake may create a problem for women.

Block that phytate!

Researchers at Denmark’s Royal Veterinary & Agricultural University recently reported on a study in which they measured the effects of fiber-rich wheat bread intake on healthy women with adequate levels of iron. (High fiber breads contain phytate, a compound that impedes the absorption of iron.)

The Denmark team recruited about 40 women who were divided into two groups. One group was given 300 grams of wheat bread daily for four months. The second group also received the same daily portion of wheat bread. But for this group the bread was enriched with phytase, an enzyme that promotes iron absorption by breaking down phytate.

Blood samples were taken from all subjects before the test period, again at two months, and again at the conclusion of the four-month study period. When researchers evaluated the samples for ferritin content (which provides an indicator of iron levels) they found that ferritin had dropped significantly in both groups. The phytase was generally ineffective.

Writing in the September 2005 issue of the European Journal of Nutrition, researchers concluded that “consumption of the recommended daily intake of fibre-rich wheat bread results in an impairment of iron status in women with initially sufficient iron stores.”

In short, women who make an effort to include genuine whole grains in their diets may be depleting their iron levels.

Simple, easybut not so good

In the e-Alert “Cell Mate” (2/9/05), I told you about an iron study from Duke University. In a laboratory experiment, researchers found that when yeast cells were deprived of iron, the hierarchy of the cell rationed the available iron, making sure the most vital cell functions received what little iron was available. The result: Iron supply was cut short for more than 80 different genes that require iron to function.

The genes that went without included genes responsible for protecting the cell from free radicals, genes that copy the cell’s DNA for long-term survival, and genes that generate energy. When iron supply is low, this rationing may occur throughout the body, creating fatigue, interfering with cognitive function and setting up long-term adverse health consequences.

As I mentioned above, there’s a simple solution to the problem of iron depletion: Just take an iron supplement. But this easy solution creates its own problems. HSI Panelist Allan Spreen, M.D., explains why: “The RDA of iron is far too high. Even if you were proven to have anemia, I wouldn’t treat it with inorganic iron. The mineral is too reactive in the body when it is not insulated from the system by being encased within the heme structure of hemoglobin. Free radical formation from free iron is just too much of a threat.”

Dr. Spreen recommends a dietary solution: Red meat, fish, pork, and poultry provide good sources of heme iron, which is especially plentiful in beef liver and chicken liver. And Dr. Spreen also notes that additional intake of vitamin C provides a very healthy way to help your body absorb iron.

Sources:
“A Decrease in Iron Status in Young Healthy Women After Long-Term Daily consumption of the Recommended Intake of Fibre-Rich Wheat Bread” European Journal of Nutrition, Vol. 44, No. 6, September 2005, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
“Get Enough Fiber Without Sacrificing Iron” Kinberly Beauchamp, N.D., Healthnotes Newswire, 11/10/05, pccnaturalmarkets.com