Researchers at General Mills teamed up with the University of Minnesota to explore the relationship between whole grain consumption and intake of total dietary fiber. Using NHANES data from 2009-10, they determined that people who eat more whole grain do indeed have higher dietary fiber intake; people who eat fewer whole grains do not make up their fiber shortfall from other sources. Adults obtained most of their whole grains from breads (27%), RTE cereals (20%) and oatmeal (21%), while the breakdown for children and adolescents was breads (24%), RTE cereals (25%) and oatmeal (12%).
Nutrition Research. 2014 Mar;34)3):226-34. (Reicks et al.)

Scientists in Portugal studied different varieties of rice to determine which components might be linked to lower incidence of some chronic diseases in rice-consuming regions of the world. After building a database compiling information from 316 papers, they determined that black rice had the highest level of antioxidants, followed in descending order by purple, red and brown rice. Based on their findings, they advised that “rice should be preferentially consumed in the form of bran or as whole grain.” They also found, however, that many other cereal grains had higher levels of most antioxidants than rice.
Food Science & Nutrition. 2014 Mar;2(2):75-104.  (Goufo et al.)

In a small study in Rome, 13 postmenopausal women took part in a randomized double-blind crossover trial. For two 4-week periods, they ate whole grain breakfast cereals, biscuits or pasta high in lignans or refined grain foods, separated by a two-week washout period. A modest decrease in cholesterol was observed during the whole grain phase of the study.
International Journal of Food Sciences & Nutrition. 2014 Mar 10. [epub ahead of print] (Durazzo et al.)

66,000 pregnant Norwegian women answered food frequency questionnaires and were subsequently classified into three dietary pattern groups: “prudent” (vegetables, fruits, oils, water as beverage, whole grain cereals, fiber-rich bread), “Western” (salty and sweet snacks, white bread, desserts, processed meat products) and “traditional” (potatoes, fish). They found that women following a “prudent” or “traditional” diet were at a lower risk of preterm delivery.
BMJ. 2014 Mar 4;348:g1446. (Englund-Ögge et al.)

Norwegian researchers reviewed data from more than 50,000 adults to investigate possible associations between central obesity and diet. After adjusting for confounding variables, they found that people with central obesity ate less bread, especially whole grain bread. They also had lower intake of fruits, berries, vegetables, pasta and rice – and higher intake of sausages, hamburgers and boiled potatoes. Researchers especially cited decreased consumption of whole grain bread and increased consumption of sugar-free drinks as being of special clinical significance.
Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism. 2014 Feb 12:1-10 (Mostad et al.)

Scientists in Iran conducted a randomized controlled crossover trial with 44 overweight or obese adolescent girls, to gauge the impact of whole grain consumption on markers of systemic inflammation. After a two-week run-in period, half the girls ate a diet where at least half their grains were whole grains, while the others avoided whole grains entirely in favor of refined grains. After six weeks, both groups observed a four-week washout period, then the groups switched. When the girls ate whole grains, C-reactive protein (an important inflammation marker) reduced by an average of 21.8%; when they ate refined grains, CRP went up about 12.1%. Other inflammation markers were also significantly reduced during the whole grain period.
Molecular Nutrition and Food Research. 2014 Jan 20, Epub ahead of print. [Hajishemi et al.]

Researchers for the PREDIMED study reviewed data that followed about 7,500 adults aged 55 to 80 who had a high risk of developing heart disease. The people were divided into 3 groups: one was assigned to eat a Mediterranean Diet enriched with extra-virgin olive oil; one was assigned to eat a Mediterranean Diet enriched with nuts; and one was assigned to a control group that received advice on following a low-fat diet. Over five years a total of 89 participants developed peripheral artery disease (PAD), which deposits plaque in the arteries of the legs, restricting blood flow, and can cause pain during walking. Participants in the control group developed PAD at a rate of about 0.5% per year. The Med Diet with nuts group experienced half that rate, and the Med Diet with olive oil group experienced an even lower rate of 0.15% per year. Researchers believe this is the first randomized primary prevention trial to suggest an association between diet and reduced rates of PAD.

JAMA. 2014; 311(4):415-417 [Ruiz-Canela M, Estruch R, Corella D, Salas-Salvadó J, Martínez-González MA].

Shared meals and family meals are a hallmark of many traditional diets and lifestyles. To see how eating together affects nutrition, researchers at the University of Minnesota reviewed the existing research on shared and family meals and nutrition status. The researchers conclude that there is “clear evidence that family meals (among youth) and shared meals (among adults) are associated with better dietary intake and that these findings transcend the lifespan.”
Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. 2014 Jan:46(1):2-19. (Fulkerson JA et al.)

Researchers reviewed data collected during the PREDIMED study in which more than 3500 patients aged 55 to 80 years with high cardiovascular risk were randomly assigned to eat 1 of 3 diets: Mediterranean Diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil, Mediterranean Diet supplemented with nuts, or a control diet (patients received advice on a low-fat diet). None of the diets were calorie restricted. Over the course of the study 16% of the participants on a Med Diet enriched with extra-virgin olive oil and 18.7% of those on the Med Diet plus nuts developed type 2 diabetes, compared to 23.6% of the participants on the control diet, leading researchers to conclude that a Mediterranean Diet enriched with olive oil but without calorie restrictions can reduce diabetes risk for people with high cardiovascular risk.

Annals of Internal Medicine. 2014; 160(1):10-10-10. [Salas-Salvadó, et al].

Researchers assessed the dietary habits of more than 1000 pregnant women in 10 Mediterranean countries to determine their adherence to a Mediterranean Diet. The women were screened for gestational diabetes between their 24^th and 32^nd weeks of pregnancy. The researchers found that adherence to a Mediterranean Diet is associated with lower incidence of gestational diabetes. They call for further testing of the use of the Mediterranean Diet for the prevention of gestational diabetes.

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2014; 68:8-13. [Karamanos, et al].

The Mediterranean diet has long been associated with healthy people, but new research indicates that it can also help improve the health of the planet. Spanish researchers assessed how the environmental impact might change if the current Spanish diet (measured using food availability data and population surveys) shifted to a Mediterranean diet or a Western diet. They found that switching back to a Mediterranean diet could cut greenhouse gas emissions by up to 72%, land use by up to 58%, energy consumption by up to 52%, and water use by up to 33%. On the other hand, switching from the current Spanish diet to a more Western diet could increase all of these factors by 12-72%. As nations look for ways to reduce their carbon footprint, the researchers conclude that encouraging a Mediterranean diet “would be beneficial from both a health and environmental perspective.”
Environmental Health. 2013 Dec 30;12:118. (Saez-Almendros S et al.)

Whether decreasing saturated fat (SFAs) can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD)depends on what replaces the SFAs. A review of current research, carried out by Dr. Penny Kris-Etherton at Penn State and others, shows that replacing SFAs with unsaturated fats (polyunsaturated or monounsaturated), with lean protein, or with whole grain carbohydrates all reduce CVD risk. However, “replacing SFAs with refined carbohydrate does little to alter risk.”
Current Opinion in Lipidology. 2013 Dec 17 [Epub ahead of print] (Flock et al.)