You’ve heard for years how important and beneficial Whole Grains are, and if you are like most Americans you’ve actually started including them in your daily foods. We all know how important they are in helping cut cholesterol and aid in the prevention of heart disease. But did you know that they might just be the 2008 answer to cutting our waistlines?

A new study from Penn State University says that increasing one’s intake of whole grain products, in combination with a reduced calorie diet, can lead to the loss of dangerous abdominal fat and cut levels of C-reactive protein (a protein associated with heart disease).

That’s great news, but each week I get emails from shoppers who are still a bit confused about just what constitutes a whole grain, and what to look for on the labels.

All grains, like wheat, corn, rice, oats, rye, barley and even popcorn, actually start out as whole grains. In their natural state, whole grains include the entire seed of a plant. That seed, or kernel, is made up of three edible parts – the bran, the germ and the endosperm – and each part contains important nutrients.

While whole grain products include the entire seed of the plant, refined grain products do not. White bread, for example, is made from only the endosperm (the bran and germ are removed). This removal results in a loss of about 25% of the grain’s protein and many other important nutrients. Whole grains consistently provide more protein, fiber and valuable vitamins and minerals than refined grain items, and thus, are considered healthier.

Until this study, there appeared to be three main benefits of whole grains.

• Cardiovascular benefits include reducing bad cholesterol and raising good cholesterol, lowering blood pressure and reducing the risk of heart attack or stroke.
• Diabetes benefits include reducing Glycemic load and therefore, reducing strain on the pancreas.
• Lastly, inflammation benefits include keeping the body’s inflammatory responses in balance, reducing the incidence of allergic reactions, and reducing the onset of auto-immune diseases.

And now, perhaps we can add fighting fat to the list!

Technically, any product that uses the term “whole grains” on the label is required to have close to the same proportions of bran, skin and endosperm as the kernel does prior to processing. Whole grains can be consumed whole, cracked, split or ground, milled into flour, or made into breads, cereals and tons of other products. But the kernel does not have to be intact to count as “whole” grain.

Products can only say 100% whole grain if all their grain is whole grain, and they contain at least 16 grams – a full serving – of whole grain per labeled serving. Products bearing the basic Whole Grain logo stamp must contain at least 8 grams – a half serving – of whole grain. They may also contain some refined grain.

Another confusing label is “whole WHITE wheat flour” and is often confused for a refined flour. Whole white wheat flour is actually a whole grain flour made from WHITE wheat (as opposed to red wheat), yet still containing the bran, germ and endosperm of the original kernel. So it's critical to read the ingredient label carefully as some brands may contain both refined white flour and whole white wheat flour.

And here’s a tip you might not know: Whole grain products labeled “quick” or “easy” – like instant oatmeal or 90-second brown rice – generally offer the same healthy nutrients as their slower-cooking counterparts. Foods like these are simply pre-cooked or cut into smaller pieces to speed up the cooking process.