Dear Colleagues,

Whole grain cereals are an important source of dietary fiber in our diet. Besides the favorable action of fiber on gut health, dietary fiber copassengers—such as minerals and trace elements, certain vitamins, phytosterols, phenolic compounds and peptides—can also make positive contribution to human health. Most of the nutrients and bioactive compounds in cereals are located in the outer layers of the grain, and can be lost during grain refining processes. While in many cases food processing techniques tend to reduce the amount of phytochemicals, the content of e.g. avenanthramides in oats and benzoxazinoids in rye and wheat, can be increased considerably by germination or malting. On the other hand, processing can also make those phytochemicals that are tightly bound to the cell wall matrix more bioavailable in the gastrointestinal tract.

There is a growing consumer interest in ancient grains, cereal landraces and pseudocereals, which are often considered to be healthier choices over traditional cereals. However, the scientific proof for this is very limited. Various factors, such as cultivar, location and weather, can affect the content of nutrients and bioactive compounds in grains.

Dr. Juha-Matti Pihlava
Dr. Veli Hietaniemi
Guest Editors

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• Cereals
• Ancient grains
• Pseudocereals
• Cultivars
• Phytochemicals
• Antioxidativity
• Food processing
• Food