There are big benefits to eating whole grains. They’re rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients—compounds that have protective or disease-preventing properties. Whole grains also contain complex carbohydrates and are low in fat.

Both the USDA and the Whole Grain Council recommend 3 or more servings of whole grains per day for everyone age 9 and older (serving size 16g). On average, a bowl of Kashi cereal gives you at least one serving of whole grains.* Most professional health organizations say that low-fat, low-saturated fat, high-complex carbohydrate diets—with plenty of vegetables, fruits and whole grains—are the best for a healthy body.

Know that variety is key. When you eat seven whole grains instead of just one, here’s the good stuff you’re including in your diet.

Fiber

Two types of fiber, soluble and insoluble, are important to maintaining a healthy body. Soluble fiber, like the kind found in oat bran and barley, can dissolve in water and form a gel. In your body, it helps slow the absorption of cholesterol, fat and sugar from your GI tract and thus helps balance blood levels of these substances. Soluble fiber also helps slow down stomach emptying, so you feel fuller longer.

Insoluble fiber, such as the type found in wheat bran, helps keep your lower digestive system in top condition. It acts like a broom and sweeps things through your GI tract on a regular schedule, making you feel healthier overall.

Antioxidants

Vitamin E and selenium are two examples of antioxidants found in whole grains. Antioxidants balance the effect of oxidants (also known as free-radicals) that are created due to normal body processes and as a response to environmental stresses such as pollutants or smoke. Free-radicals are atoms with a charge that bounce around in our cells creating damage to cell structure and function. Antioxidants work by neutralizing the charged atoms and stopping the chain reaction. For this reason, antioxidants have a protective effect in the body and have been linked to lowering the risk of degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, cancer, heart disease and aging.

Phytonutrients

Whole grains contain specific types of antioxidants called “phytonutrients” that are produced naturally by plants to help protect them from the environment. In grains, phytonutrients are found mostly in the bran and the germ of the seed. They protect the kernel and newly sprouted plants from things like damaging sun rays, excess moisture and too much heat during summer. Remarkably, when you eat whole grains, these nutrients provide protective powers for your body in the same way. Their phytonutrients combat free radicals that can damage our bodies. While their presence seems to play a role in promoting health, scientists have just started to study these little supernutrients and hope to better match individual health benefits to specific phytonutrients.

Some phytonutrients are unique to grains—they can’t be found in fruits and vegetables. And eating a variety of whole grains, like Kashi 7 Whole Grains, means that your body is benefiting from a buffet of different phytonutrients not found in single grain foods!

Vitamins & Minerals

In addition to fiber and antioxidants, whole grains contain other nutrients such as B vitamins, magnesium and iron.

Learn about the health benefits of whole grains and then find delicious ways to eat more whole grains.

*Average of 24 Kashi cereals.