Summary of natural and ancient grain benefits
- Natural and whole grains gain popularity through rising clean label demand
- Consumers value grains offering minimal processing and strong nutritional advantages
- Whole grains support blood sugar control through bran, germ and endosperm
- Ancient grains provide fibre, protein diversity and climate‑resilient crop options
- Refined and whole grains complement each other in delivering essential nutrients
Naturalness is all the rage at the moment. As trust in the food industry declines and enthusiasm for processing dwindles, consumers want clean label foods with simple, transparent ingredients lists.
Whole and natural grains boast these things, and more. As well as being less processed than their more refined counterparts, natural and whole grains provide nutritional benefits that others don’t.
Ancient grains in particular can provide consumers with benefits that staple crops, those accounting for the vast majority of human calories, cannot.
Whole grains win amid clean label boom
Whole grains are appealing to consumers precisely because of what makes them different from refined grains.
The appeal of whole grains lies in their nutritional benefits, explains Rohan Grover, CEO of Netherlands-based ingredients supplier Nature Bio Foods.
Compared with processed grains, natural grains promise greater nutritional benefits, he says.
Natural and whole grains are one area where functional health and clean label do not clash but combine: they appeal to consumers of both trends.
Whole grains such as brown rice are becoming more popular, being used in pasta, flour and baby food. Millets are also becoming very popular.
The market for whole grains is driven by “consumer demand for simple, transparent, fibre-rich products”, explains Pauline Arramy, marketing manager at ingredients company Limagrain Ingredients.
Consumer demand for transparency has increased the popularity of whole grains.
The demand for transparency translates into a demand for ingredients that reduce, or even eliminate, additives, while at the same time maintaining high technological and organoleptic (sensory) quality, explains Arramy.
Ancient grains like fonio and amaranth are also seeing popularity, Nature Bio Foods’ Grover explains.
Consumers are looking to these grains for gut health benefits, high fibre and protein, and a lack of gluten. Beyond this, ancient grains are often climate-resilient, and provide alternatives to staple crops like rice and wheat.
What is unique about whole grains?
We’ve seen that consumers are gravitating towards whole and natural grains because of their nutritional benefits. What is unique about whole grains?
Whole grains retain certain important components that refined grains lack, explains Erin Ball, executive director of the organisation Grains Food Foundation.
For example, they often still include the bran, which is dense in fibre, as well as B vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytochemicals.
Also in whole grains is the germ, which is the heart of the grain. In the germ are healthy fats, vitamin E, B vitamins, phytochemicals, and antioxidants.
In refined grains, only the starchy endosperm, which makes up around 80% of the grain and provides protein and carbohydrates, remains.
Together, the three components contribute to blood sugar control, digestive health, and overall diet quality.
Of course, not all grains are the same. Different grains contribute different benefits. For example, fibre is provided by barley and rye, and wheat and oats have an abundance of both fibre and protein.
Nevertheless, whole grains must complement, not replace, refined grains in order for consumers to get the full benefits they provide, says Ball.
“While whole grains offer meaningful benefits, they represent just one component of grain nutrition and are not the sole source of essential nutrients. Refined grain foods, most of which are enriched or fortified, play a complementary role by supplying key nutrients such as folate, iron, and B vitamins, and by contributing fibre in forms that are widely consumed.”
The potential of ancient grains
Lesser-known and ancient grains can also contribute to diet quality.
Grains such as sorghum, millet, amaranth, and buckwheat can differ in fibre type, protein composition, micronutrient profile and gluten content compared with more common grains, says Ball.
“These grains can complement staple grains by expanding dietary diversity and cultural relevance, rather than replacing the nutritional role of widely consumed grain foods.”
