WASHINGTON — Flour-based foods such as bread, cereals, and pasta are the source of roughly half of iron consumption in the United States, and proposed changes in the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) should not jeopardize adequate intake of this important nutrient. Grain Chain.
Bringing additional perspective on the health implications of potential changes to grain-based food recommendations at the DGA, the Grain Chain suggested that staple grains could help address nutrient intake gaps and promote health equity, according to Grain Chain members.
The November 20 letter to subcommittee 3 of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) discusses the work of the DGAC Food Pattern Modeling and Data Analysis and focuses on the debate about essential carbohydrates. It follows the Cereal Foods Foundation’s letter to the committee on 15 November.
According to Grain Chain, some of the key points raised at the subcommittee’s Sept. 11-12 meeting directly address the health benefits of eating grains. For example, of great concern to the subcommittee is the prevalence of diet-related chronic health conditions such as obesity, coronary heart disease, diabetes, and colorectal cancer; The grain is “all conditions where consumption of the grain has been found to reduce the risk,” Chain said.
The group cited a recently published multinational cohort study. LancetThe Council of Ministers concluded that consumption of foods sometimes described as “ultra-processed”, such as bread and cereal, is not associated with the risk of cancer or cardiometabolic disease, adding that these products should be recommended for consumption.
Grain Chain members said the DGAC subcommittee focused on the prevalence of nutrient deficiencies in typical American diets, a problem exacerbated by deficiencies in grain consumption. The grain food category is a leading contributor of dietary fiber, dietary folate, iron and magnesium, the letter said, and “demonstrates how grains help address nutrient deficiencies.”
But Grain Chain noted that the majority of Americans do not meet DGA recommendations for grain intake, especially whole grains, even though grains were “essentials” in the 2020-2025 guidelines as well as previous editions of the DGA.
Grain Chain comments also focused on the elements mentioned in the GFF’s letter. Common concerns in their comments between the two groups included the risk that replacing whole and/or enriched grains with starchy vegetables and legumes could cause nutrient deficiencies.
The Cereal Chain stated that “Americans do not consume enough fiber, and only 6% of people ages 1 and older meet recommended dietary fiber intake levels,” noting that approximately 40% of dietary fiber is consumed through fortified cereals.
Both groups specifically focus on the risks for pregnant women and their babies of dietary changes that would reduce the intake of vital nutrients such as iron and folic acid.
The Grain Chain letter noted that nearly half of U.S. iron consumption comes from bread, cereals, pasta and other foods made with enriched and whole wheat flour, and that these foods “provide critical folic acid.”
The Cereal Chain said: “Fortification of folic acid in certain grain foods has contributed to a significant reduction in neural tube defects.
“Additionally, iron deficiency anemia during pregnancy is associated with having a low birth weight baby and postpartum depression, and severe iron deficiency during pregnancy may increase the risk of preterm birth (delivery before the 37th week of pregnancy),” the letter said. “Hispanic mothers remain at the highest risk of having a baby with an NTD (neural tube birth defect). Only 13% of Hispanic women consumed folic acid, compared to 31% of non-Hispanic White women. Additionally Studies show that those on a carbohydrate-restricted diet are 30% more likely to have a baby with anencephaly or spina bifida.
“While DGAC examines each scientific question through a health equity lens, it is important to consider how NTDs affect specific racial and ethnic groups and how dietary guidance, including recommendations to consume fortified grains, can address nutrient deficiencies among certain populations.”
The Grain Chain is encouraged that the DGAC focus on establishing a definition for fortification. Members emphasized “the importance of having a definition to ensure Americans are getting essential nutrients.”
Despite the benefits of fortified grain consumption, grain foods are still unfairly “considered ‘hyperprocessed’ by some classification systems,” according to members of the Grain Chain, which can interfere with efforts to close the nutrient gap in grain foods. It is uniquely positioned to do so.
“DGAC should consider not only how the grain food group contributes to a nutritious diet and nutrient adequacy, but also how to encourage the consumption of more grain foods, including fortified ones, rather than fewer, to improve health and nutrition.” they said.
Grain Chain said the DGAC should also be mindful of the effects of its recommendations on low-income families, citing recent USDA data that estimates 44.2 million people in the United States are struggling with hunger.
“Additionally, 13.4 million children lived in food insecure households, an increase of 44.6% from 2021,” the letter said. “Food insecurity rates were higher in single-parent female-headed households as well as Black and Latinx households. These statistics are a sobering reminder that all Americans need access to affordable, nutritious food options like grains. “Grain foods are affordable, versatile and accessible, making them an ideal, nutritious choice for all Americans.”
Groups that signed the letter include the American Bakers Association, AIB International, Cereals and Grains Association, Independent Bakers Association, National Wheat Growers Association, National Pasta Association, North American Millers Association, Retail Bakers of America, U.S. Rice Federation and Wheat Foods Council.
Flour-based foods, such as bread, account for approximately 50% of dietary iron intake in the United States.