Source: http://www.wholegrainscouncil.org/newsroom/blog/2009/08/barley-satisfies-best
August 10, 2009
Are you plagued by that running-on-empty feeling just a few hours after your last meal? Try eating more barley, like the Thai Barley Stir Fry shown here.
In a study published recently in the journal Appetite,
researchers (including WGC Scientific Advisor Dr. Len Marquart and WGC
Member Dr. Elizabeth Arndt of ConAgra Mills) asked 47 healthy subjects
to compare the effects of three different grain-based meals on hunger.
People
participating in the study ate a hot-cereal breakfast and a snack mix
made from either whole barley, whole wheat or refined rice. Subjects
were quizzed about their feelings of hunger as the morning wore on,
then allowed to eat as much as they wanted of a buffet lunch.
The
results? None of the grains reduced the amount people subsequently ate
at lunch, but the whole barley-eaters reported significantly less
hunger during the morning than those in the whole wheat or refined rice
groups. This study reinforces once again the fact that higher-fiber
foods tend to "stick to our ribs." Common varieties of barley have
about 17% fiber content, and some varieties are as high as 30% fiber.
Whole wheat weighs in at about 12% fiber, with refined (white) rice at
about 1.9% fiber. You can compare the different fiber levels of various whole grains here on the WGC website.
That
said, fiber is only one of the healthy components whole grains. They're
also full of antioxidants, healthy unsaturated fats, and many other
phytonutrients. (Cindy)
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