Total Dietary Fiber Intake, Whole Grain Consumption, and Their Biological Effects

2-s2.0-85087971790Unlike refined grains, whole grains, which consist of entire grain, contain high micronutrients and dietary fiber in their bran and seed. In the literature many studies showed that high-fiber diets may reduce the incidence of chronic diseases such as diverticulitis, diabetes, obesity, heart diseases, and some cancer types. Once upon a time, whole grains were neglected by researchers. Following the determination that dietary fibers are present in the whole grains together with micronutrients and phytochemicals, the focus of the studies has shifted towards observational studies related to whole grains intake. Cereal fibers have proven to have stronger health effects as a result of synergistic effects with phytochemicals and micronutrients in whole grains. This chapter describes the dietary fiber-related health effects of whole grain consumption after mentioning characteristics of dietary fiber and whole grains. © 2019, Springer Nature Switzerland AG