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Whole-grain food structure, phytochemical bioavailability and potential health effects: From a reductionist to a holistic approach
A. FARDET (1). (1) INRA, Clermont-Ferrand-Theix, NM, France

Meta-analyses show that whole grain product consumption is associated with significant lower prevalence of obesity, diabetes, CVD and some cancers. Protective mechanisms involved are complex, cereals being a complex package of bioactive compounds with various positive physiological effects and bioavailability percentages. The specific effects of food structure, fibre and magnesium, the antioxidant/anti-carcinogenic/anti-inflammatory properties of numerous compounds in the bran and germ are today recognised mechanisms in this protection. Yet, recent findings, exhaustive listing of bioactive compounds found in whole-grain wheat and their estimated bioavailability may lead to propose new hypotheses: Involvement of polyphenols in cell signalling and gene regulation, and sulphur compounds/lignin/ phytic acid should be considered in antioxidant protection; whole-grain wheat is also a rich source of methyl donors and lipotropes involved in cardiovascular and/or hepatic protection, lipid metabolism and DNA methylation; role of fibre for delivering <i>co-passengers</i> within colon, notably bound phenolic acids; and the potential protective effects of the B-complex vitamins on mental health, of oligosaccharides as prebiotics, of compounds associated with skeleton health, and of other neglected compounds would also deserve to be studied in more depth via a synergistic approach. In addition, most of these bioactive compounds are both in bound and/or free/conjugated forms, each exerting specific physiological effects; so that we propose the concept of <i>slow</i> and <i>rapid</i> phytochemicals, notably for phenolic acids and fibres. Nutrigenomics to study complex physiological effects of the whole grain package and interventional studies are now needed to move a step forward in the understanding of the mechanisms involved in the complex and synergetic whole grain cereal protection.

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