Draft Australian Dietary Guidelines (PDF, 3MB) - Eat For Health

protective environment in the colon, particularly in the context of meals [279]. Note that as somedegree of processing is applied to most grains (cereals) to aid digestion, the effects can besignificantly influenced by the technology applied in processing and cooking [280].Because wholegrains contain more nutrients and phytochemicals, concentrated in the bran andgerm [281], they are likely to have greater effects than refined grains (cereals). Wholegrainscontain phenolic compounds with strong anti-oxidant capacity which may be protective againstprocesses involved in the pathology of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer [282]. Choosingwholegrain options may also assist with satiety and help in not over consuming food beyondenergy (kilojoule) requirements.The previous dietary guidelines discussed the glycaemic index (GI) of a food as a physiologicallybased classification of carbohydrate-containing foods according to their potential to raise bloodglucose. Various factors may affect the GI value of a food, among them the particle size of milledgrains, the ratio of amylose to amylopectin, the degree of starch gelatinisation and the presence ofother food components such as viscous soluble fibres, fat, protein and organic acids which maylimit practical application. Lower GI diets may assist in the management of diabetes [37]. Furtherresearch on GI and health outcomes may be required to investigate other potential associations.The previous guidelines also noted that consumption of dietary fibre assists in maintaining thehealth and function of the digestive system, for example in preventing constipation [36, 37].2.3.4 Practical considerations: Eat grain (cereal) foods,mostly wholegrainConsuming at least 4–6 serves of grain (cereal) foods per day is recommended for Australianadults, while the amount recommended for children and adolescents depends on their age and sex(see table 2.3 below), ranging from four serves a day for 2–8 year olds to seven a day for olderadolescents. The amount of different grain (cereal) foods which comprise a serve is outlined in theAustralian Guide to Healthy Eating. One slice of bread, or half a medium roll or flat bread (about40g), is equivalent to 1/2 cup of cooked rice, pasta, noodles, 2/3 cup of breakfast cereal flakes(30g) or one quarter of a cup of muesli (30g).The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating provides detailed information on the number of serves andserve sizes of grain (cereal) mostly wholegrain foods required for different population groups (seetables 2.3 and 2.4).DRAFT Australian Dietary Guidelines- December 2011 48