Miller Magazine Issue: 131 November 2020

20 NEWS MILLER / November 2020 Cereals offer greater health and nutrition benefits than commonly acknowledged, de- spite often being considered ‘nutrient-poor’, say scientists. New paper reveals the undervalued health benefits of maize and wheat Cereal crops like maize and wheat deserve greater consideration as part of a healthy, nutritious diet, ac- cording to the authors of a new paper. A review of agri-nutrition research and dietary guidance found that the potential health benefits provided by cereals were often overlooked or undervalued as part of nutritious diets, including their role in reducing non-communi- cable diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. The study identified two key explanations for the oversight. The first is that many cereal crops with var- ying nutritional qualities are indiscriminately grouped under the broad category of “staples.” A second problem lies in the fact that cereals are usu- ally considered to be a major source of dietary ener- gy alone. However, reducing nutritional attributes to macro- and micro-nutrients misses other beneficial elements of cereals known as “bioactive food compo- nents.” These include carotenoids, flavonoids, and pol- yphenols, and compounds that comprise dietary fiber. “Most whole grain cereals provide differing amounts of proteins, fats, minerals and vitamins, in addition to being important sources of dietary energy,” said Jason Donovan, a senior economist at the International Ma- ize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and co-author of the paper published in Food Policy. “Only relative to other ‘nutrient-rich’ foodstuffs can cereals be described as ‘nutrient-poor’.” In the paper, entitled Agri-nutrition research: Revi- siting the contribution of maize and wheat to human nutrition and health, the authors called on researchers and policymakers to embrace the multiple dietary com- ponents of cereals in addressing under- and over-nutri- tion, micronutrient deficiencies and the growing global problem of non-communicable diseases. “Through increasing the availability of, and access to, healthy foods derived from cereals, we can better add- ress the growing triple burden of malnutrition that many countries are facing,” said Olaf Erenstein, co-author and director of CIMMYT’s Socioeconomics program. “To feed the world within planetary boundaries, current in- takes of whole grain foods should more than double and address tricky issues like the current over-processing, to make the most of the nutrition potential of maize and wheat.” While some carbohydrates can create a glyce- mic response that has negative effects on diabetes and obesity, dietary fiber in cereals comprises carbohydrates that are fermented in the large intestine with largely po- sitive metabolic and health effects. In addition, the naturally-occurring compounds found in maize and wheat can be enhanced through conventional breeding, genomic selection and bio- and industrial-fortification to offer enriched levels of bene- ficial components. For example, scientists at CIMMYT have worked on new maize and wheat varieties with additional levels of vitamin A and zinc to help address some of the nutriti- onal deficiencies found worldwide. Researchers are also improving how cereals are produced, processed, and stored to increase productivity and improve food safety while maintaining their nutritional benefits. One of challenges in maximizing the nutritional be- nefit of cereal-based foods in diets is that the proces- sing of grains often causes substantial losses of essential vitamins and minerals. Meanwhile, manufacturing in- dustries create ultra-processed foods that often contain noxious qualities and components, which contribute directly to the significant and increasing global health and economic costs of non-communicable diseases. “If we are to end hunger by delivering healthy, di- verse and nutritional diets in the next decade, we need a broader and more nuanced understanding of the nutritional and health-promoting value of diverse fo- ods, including cereals,” added Nigel Poole, co-author and Professor of International Development at SOAS University, London. “Cereals and so-called ‘nutrient-ri- ch’ foods are complementary in agri-nutrition, both of which require additional research, resources and atten- tion so that one does not replace the other.” CIMMYT