As part of a general healthy diet, consumption of whole grains is associated with lower risk of several diseases. Whole grains are a source of multiple nutrients and dietary bread without wheat, recommended for children and adults in several daily servings containing a variety of foods that meet whole grain-rich criteria. Cereal proteins have low quality, due to deficiencies in essential amino acids, mainly lysine.
While coeliac disease is caused by a reaction to wheat proteins, it is not the same as a wheat allergy. In the United States wholegrain products can be identified by the ingredients list. Whole grains shall consist of the intact, ground, cracked or flaked caryopsis, whose principal anatomical components – the starchy endosperm, germ and bran – are present in the same relative proportions as they exist in the intact caryopsis. When wheat is milled to make flour, the parts of the grain are usually separated and then are recombined to make specific types of flour, such as whole wheat, whole grain, white cake and pastry flour, and all-purpose white flour. If all parts of the kernel are used in the same relative proportions as they exist in the original kernel, then the flour is considered whole grain. The portion of the kernel that is removed for this purpose contains much of the germ and some of the bran.
If this portion of the kernel has been removed, the flour would no longer be considered whole grain. In the UK the legally protected term is wholemeal rather than wholegrain. There are voluntary guidelines on what can be labelled a wholegrain product. Dietary fiber from whole grains, as part of an overall healthy diet, may help improve blood cholesterol levels, and lower risk of heart disease, stroke, obesity and type 2 diabetes. The gluten-free diet: safety and nutritional quality”. US Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service.