Experts agree: essential to healthy diet, refined grains help combat nutrient deficiency
Review of data highlights benefits of consumption, need for continued research and improved messaging
A new study recently published in Current Developments in Nutrition, a peer-reviewed medical journal of nutritional science, highlights the importance of including refined grains as part of a healthy diet—and, more importantly, the risks of excluding this dietary staple that Americans may not fully understand.
The study, “Do Refined Grains Have a Place in a Healthy Dietary Pattern: Perspectives from an Expert Panel Consensus Meeting,” was undertaken to broaden understanding of the contributions of not just whole grains, but also refined grains, to the American diet. Refined grains are enriched to replace the nutrients that are lost when the bran and germ of the grain are removed during the milling process. These enriched refined grains are often also fortified with several critical nutrients that many Americans under consume. By reviewing scientific data published since the release of the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs) on nutrient intakes, diet quality, enrichment and fortification, and associations with weight-related outcomes, panel experts unanimously concluded that not including sufficient refined grain foods in the diet can have unintended consequences.