FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM MAY 3, 2018 • HEALTH • THE QUEENS COURIER 45
health
Gut check: Eat the right kinds of whole grains
with the right kinds of fi ber to cut cancer risk
Can cutting back on whole grains be
bad for your gut and deadly to your
health? Th ough some popular diets promote
the elimination of grains, a recent
report from the American Institute for
Cancer Research suggests this may be
ill-advised.
Researchers say 47 percent of colorectal
cancers can be prevented with lifestyle
changes, such as adding whole grains to
your diet and exercising more. Eating
three daily servings of whole grains
reduces the risk of colorectal cancer by 17
percent, the report says.
But the link between whole grains and
cancer may be confusing. Aft er all, the
major benefi t of whole grains is fi ber, and
fi ber is fi ber, right?
Here’s the paradox about fiber:
Americans have increased their consumption
of fi ber, including whole grains.
In spite of that, bowel cancer is still one
the most common types of cancer. Not all
fi ber is alike. Understanding how whole
grains and their fi ber types go to work in
the gut may hold the key to reducing the
risk of colorectal cancer.
A new kind of super-grain
First, we turn to the humble barley
grain. It may be on the verge of a big
moment. Australian researchers spent
30 years breeding a variety of barley
that contains more of the properties
believed to reduce colon cancer. Th e
result is a so-called super-grain called
BARLEYmax.
What’s special about BARLEYmax?
Th is non-GMO grain has twice the fi ber
as most other whole grains, including
wheat. It’s also chock-full of a unique
type of fi ber called resistant starch.
Scientists believe resistant starch plays an
important role in keeping the gut environment
healthy. BARLEYmax has four
times as much resistant starch as wheat
and oats, and scientists believe it’s this
resistant starch that may be the key link
to fi ghting colorectal cancer.
What do resistant starches do?
Why did the Australian researchers
want to develop a grain that was high in
resistant starches? Dr. David Topping,
who headed the research team, points
to previous research showing the link
between diet and colorectal cancer.
Africans have a lower fi ber intake compared
to Americans and Australians, yet
their bowel cancer rates are much lower,
he reports. On the surface, this appears
to diminish the role of fi ber. Here’s the
kicker: Th e African diet is much higher
in resistant starches and fermentable
fi bers than American and Australian
diets.
According to Topping, that highlights
the key determinant of better bowel
health and fi ghting cancer is that we
eat enough of the right fi ber types, from
whole grain sources, rather than to focus
only on the amount of fi ber we eat.
How do resistant starches work?
We’ve all heard about how important
it is to make sure the gut is inhabited by
the right kinds of bacteria. But it’s not as
simple as taking a probiotic supplement
or eating yogurt for breakfast. Gut bacteria
need food to thrive, and that’s where
resistant starches come in.
In the gut, resistant starches are a
food source for healthy gut bacteria, and
these bacteria keep the gut environment
healthy. When diets are low in resistant
starches, it creates a “hungry gut bacteria
population.” But increasing the availability
of fermentable fi ber-rich whole grains
that feed the gut microbiota can potentially
make us healthier.
Good sources of good fi ber
It’s exciting to hear that boosting your
intake of resistant starches can have
such a profound eff ect on your well-being
and health. Getting the right foods
that “feed” your gut has been tricky
because, frankly, many are not appealing
to American tastes.
Green bananas are a prime example.
Although resistant starches are abundant
in foods like cooked and cooled
potatoes, barley and oats, these have
to be eaten cold to get the full benefi
ts, because these starches break down
when heated.
Australian natural foods company
Freedom Foods is the fi rst breakfast
manufacturer to bring the unique
BARLEYmax grain to the U.S. under
their Barley+ line of Toasted Mueslis
and nutritional bars. Th e format, which
is much closer to American-style granola
but without all the sugar, will provide
Americans with a much more accessible
way to access resistant starch than
some of the more obscure sources currently
available.
Barley+ Toasted Muesli and Barley+
Snack Bars are now available at grocers
and other retailers. To learn more about
the mueslis and snacks, visit freedomfoodsus.
com.
Courtesy BPT