WASHINGTON — You’ve likely heard eating whole grains helps dieters feel fuller, but new research dispels that as myth while noting other benefits such as increased metabolism.
People eating whole grains versus refined grains expelled more calories as waste and saw an increase in resting metabolism over the course of an eight-week study by Tufts University.
The research compared people eating whole grains such as whole-wheat flour, oatmeal and brown rice with people eating refined grains such as white flour, white bread and white rice. It involved 81 men and women between 40 and 65 years old.
Study participants reported no statistically significant difference in feelings of hunger, fullness and satisfaction.
The findings, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, noted that people eating whole grains evacuated about 100 more calories as waste daily — not because they were consuming additional fiber, but because the whole grains impacted how other foods were digested.
Researchers note their study used whole-grain flour. They hypothesize that eating actual kernels of whole grains might lead to even bigger results.
