Qualified health claim for whole-grain intake and risk of type 2 diabetes: an evidence-based review by the US Food and Drug Administration

The objective of this review is to explain how the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) used its evidence-based review system to evaluate the scientific evidence for a qualified health claim on the role of whole-grain consumption in reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes. The labeling of health claims, including qualified health claims, on conventional foods and dietary supplements requires premarket approval by the FDA. Health claims characterize the relationship between a substance (food or food component) and a disease (eg, diabetes or cardiovascular disease) or a health-related condition (eg, hypertension). This review describes the FDA's evaluation of intervention and observational studies that characterize a relationship between whole grains and type 2 diabetes. This evidence-based review provides very limited evidence to support a health claim of a relationship between intake of whole grains and a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes.