Experts Agree: It's OK To Love Bread

HealthNewsDigest.com -To the delight of sandwich fans from coast to coast, bread-the staff of life for more than 10,000 years-is making a comeback after years of being blamed for contributing to America's collective expanded waistline.

New research and the most recent revision to the USDA Food Guide Pyramid support what millions of moms have told their children for generations-enjoy a variety of foods in moderation and get some exercise.

Recent research suggests that fad diets simply do not work in the long run. The revised USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans emphasize the need for consumption of grain-based foods-particularly whole grains-as part of a healthy diet.

That's not surprising to Judi Adams, a registered dietician with more than 30 years' experience and the president of the Grain Foods Foundation, a nonprofit group dedicated to educating consumers that breads and grains are an essential-and delicious-part of a healthy lifestyle.

"Americans are consuming less than one serving daily of whole grains, certainly not close to the three or more servings that the USDA and Health and Human Services [HHS] recommends," explains Ms. Adams. "Whole grains are important as they have been shown to help prevent the risk of type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart disease and some cancers.

"At the same time, enriched bread and grains are also an essential source for the daily requirements of folic acid, riboflavin, niacin, thiamine, as well as iron, for all Americans, especially women during their childbearing years," Adams continued. "Increased folic acid intake can help to prevent birth defects and ensure cardiovascular and overall health."

A recent survey of more than 2,000 American consumers, conducted by the Grain Foods Foundation, found that while 50 percent of those surveyed indicate that they "love eating bread" and 50 percent say they "eat bread almost every day," only a scant 12 percent are aware of the many health benefits associated with eating bread.

Why the lack of understanding? Ms. Adams explains: "We have a sensory and emotional connection to bread-the taste, the smell, the memories that bread evokes-but for the most part, consumers have never been educated about the nutritional benefits of bread. We know that it forms the base of the dietary guidance around the world-but we don't know why."

So pick up that sandwich and pass the dinner rolls-it's OK to enjoy bread again-as long as we follow Mom's advice: Everything in moderation and get outside and play.

To learn more about the health benefits of breads and grains, visit the Grain Foods Foundation's Grains for LIFE Web site at www.grainpower.org.