Potential Negative Effects of Whole grain Consumption

Kapitel i bok, 2021

This chapter discusses the acclaimed adverse effects of some constituents of whole grain cereals and their bran, including allergenic proteins and proteins that provoke food sensitivity; toxic effects of the heavy metal cadmium; phytate and phenolic compounds for their chelation of iron; and acrylamide, which is a heat- generated class II carcinogen. The possible adverse effects related to whole grain consumption are important to consider with increased consumption of whole grains and especially bran-rich fractions. Some of the cereal proteins may provoke immune responses causing allergies or trigger autoimmune responses leading to food sensitivity in genetically predisposed individuals. Gluten proteins, which is a collective name for glutamin and prolamin-rich proteins, such as gliadin in wheat, hordeins in barley and secalins in rye, may trigger celiac disease in genetically predisposed individuals carrying, for example, the HLA-DQ8 and/or HLA-DQ2 genotypes.