The nutrient composition of each grain can vary depending on the variety of the grain, where it is grown - the climate, elevation and soils, and there is little hard scientific research.
There is no doubt that whole grains have more nutrients than refined grains, which have had fibre, minerals and phytonutrients removed, but much of the research and most of the claims appear to come from companies with vested interests, Dr Venn says.
He believes the trend to ancient (or supergrains) is being led by marketers.
‘‘People have money and people are concerned about their health. If you can get people with money to part with it by some clever healthy marketing initiative, then that's a good way to do business. That's a bit cynical, but it's actually part of what's going on.''
Irrespective of the marketing, whole grains do have many health benefits. However, they don't necessarily need to be exotic or ancient. Common grains such as wheat, oats and rye, are good as long as they are not refined, Dr Venn says.
Refining grains to produce products, such as white rice and white flour, not only removes many of the nutrients but also destroys the structure of the grain, something that is largely overlooked.
‘‘Having the structure of the whole grain is important in terms of blood glucose response. Finely ground wholemeal bread will produce the same glycemic response as white bread. Although the wholemeal flour may retain a lot of its nutrients, it's not going to give you the advantage of lower blood glucose. For that you do really need the structure of the whole grain.''
How long you cook the grain can also have a bearing on the glycemic index (GI). Wholegrain oats cooked until smooth will destroy much of the structure, he says.
One of the advantages of some of the ancient grains, such as quinoa, chia and amaranth, is that they are very small seeds so you get the benefit of the structure, but on the other hand, unless you can actually chew them they will just pass through the body and you will not get the benefit of all the nutrients, he says.
Dr Venn advises looking for bread with kibbled or whole grains that are visible in the crumb and crust - the more the better.
Sprouting grains and seeds also help release nutrients and enzymes, but you have to be careful the sprouts do not become infected with bacteria and rot or go mouldy.
‘‘I would support the ancient grains movement. We don't know all the nutrient content claims are valid and we don't know that there are particularly wellsubstantiated health claims, but I would support the general trend away from refining and back to whole food,'' Dr Venn says.
And an interesting aside: He believes legumes (lentils, chickpeas, beans and peas) have been left out of the supergrain promotion probably because it's difficult for companies to market them as aggressively as ancient grains. However, they have good proteins, good starch profiles, good fibre, are not energydense and are under utilised.
