CIMMYT Series on Carbohydrates, Wheat, Grains, and Health: Carbohydrates, Grains, and Wheat in Nutrition and Health: An Overview. Part I. Role of Carbohydrates in Health

CIMMYT Series on Carbohydrates, Wheat, Grains, and Health: Carbohydrates, Grains, and Whole Grains and Disease Prevention. Part IV. Cancer Risk: Lung, Prostate, and Stomach

“…Specifically, consumption of these foods is alleged to promote metabolic pathways that favor and enhance tumor growth. A two-part review, like those previously published in this series (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6), will assess the roles of these foods in increasing or decreasing cancer risks. Because more than 100 types of cancer have been identified, the two-part review will assess the scientific literature with respect to the effects of consuming refined, enriched, and whole grains and the CHOs they contain, including starches, dietary fibers, and resistant starches, on the five most common cancers worldwide: breast, colon, lung, prostate, and stomach.…”

“…This second review on cancer will examine the roles played by CHOs and grains in lung, prostate, and stomach cancers. Evidence from earlier reviews in the series that addressed the roles of CHOs and grain-based foods in inflammation, 1 Funded by a grant to CIMMYT from GrupoBimbo. 2 The data included herein are provided "as is. "…”

“…In the initial review articles published in this series, CHOs and their sources, such as whole and refined grains, were introduced and established as important contributors of several key nutrients in the human diet (1,2). The role of CHOs and cereal grains in nutrition and health, specifically their impact on digestion and digestive disorders, blood glucose, and inflammation (3); their role in maintaining body weight (4) and preventing high blood pressure, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes (5); and their relationships to brain health (6) were covered in subsequent reviews.…”

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“…With regard to the impact of dietary patterns on overweight/obesity and related noncommunicable diseases, wheatbased foods play an important role in both positive and negative health effects, depending on the quantity and quality of the wheat-based foods included in the diet (116,117). Recent review articles concluded that, in general, consuming cereal foods, including wheat-based foods, can have beneficial effects in preventing obesity and associated noncommunicable diseases (118)(119)(120)(121).…”

“…Such guidance promotes balanced, healthy dietary patterns, such as the Mediterranean and Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) Diets. These diets recommend that 45-65% of calorie intake come from carbohydrates; wheat and cereals may provide a significant portion of the carbohydrates in the diet (116,117,124). It has been suggested that for those who require 2,000 kcal/day and follow a balanced dietary pattern it is important that they consume approximately six 30 g portions of cereal-based foods per day, with half as whole grains.…”