Don’t expect breeding programs to produce new lines of low-carbohydrate cereal crops anytime soon.
That type of crop modification is an inherently difficult process, say wheat and barley developers.
“They’re essentially starch crops,” said Rick Holm, director of the University of Saskatchewan’s Crop Development Centre.
“A low-starch or a low-carbohydrate wheat is kind of an oxymoron.”
The only way to drive the starch content down is to boost protein levels, which are already quite high in western Canadian wheat and barley crops.
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Pumping up protein creates undesirable quality characteristics for bakers and especially for maltsters, who if anything are searching for lower protein varieties.
Aside from practical breeding difficulties, there is also an intellectual argument to be made against reducing the carbohydrate profiles of cereal crops, said Ravi Chibbar, Canada research chair in crop quality at the University of Saskatchewan.
“There are many benefits to these carbohydrates, some that we may not have even identified yet.”
Temporary loss
Kristyn Hall, a registered dietitian with the Calgary Health Region, doesn’t put much faith in Atkins, South Beach and other low carb diets, which she said will lead to weight loss but only temporarily.
“These diets are very restrictive with limited food choices and as a result people on these diets tend to take in fewer calories. Anytime you take in fewer calories than you expend you’re going to lose weight, regardless of whether those lost calories are from proteins, carbohydrates or fat.”
She said grain-based carbohydrates are full of phytochemicals, fibre and key nutrients that can reduce the risk of heart disease and certain cancers as well as promote overall good health and weight loss.
The bran found in wheat and barley speeds up fecal movement, which improves intestinal functions and reduces the risk of colon cancer.
Both grains are high in vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant that protects cell membranes and brain cells.
Barley contains high levels of beta-glucan, a fibre that helps reduce bad cholesterol levels.
Carbohydrates in their natural form also have a low glycemic index, which results in more gradual increases in blood sugar that can help with short-term weight loss and increased energy levels.
So instead of focusing on reducing carbohydrate levels, crop breeders are looking at how to modify them to enhance existing health benefits.
An example is high amylose wheat, which produces a starch that is broken down in the stomach, resulting in reduced calorie intake.
“It can be used for a kind of diet bread,” said Chibbar.
Packaging whole grain products as natural preventative tools for health threats will be an important area for the next generation of cereal research, he said.
“We’ve heard a lot of negative things about carbohydrates but from the point of view of our grain crops, they are nothing to think negatively about.”
