More Whole Grains for a Healthier Heart

Whole grain consumption makes a great difference as far as developing a group of heart risk factors is concerned.

A team of researchers led by Dr. Nadine R. Sahyoun of the University of Maryland in College Park studied the effect of increased whole-grain consumption on the heart health of a group of 535 adults aged 60 to 98. This has been the first study of its kind to concentrate on the benefits of whole grains in the elderly. According to Dr. Sayhoun, the effect of diet on metabolic risk factors is even more evident in aged adults, because the susceptibility to abnormal blood sugar control is greater with age.

The study's findings suggest that older adults who regularly consume whole grains (high-fiber cereals, cooked oat meals) are less likely to develop metabolic syndrome, a group of conditions that include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high blood sugar levels and abdominal obesity. These conditions raise the risks of heart disease, stroke and kidney damage. People who had at least three whole-grain servings a day also had a reduced risk of cardiovascular death within the next 12 to 15 years.

The subjects underwent a physical examination, completed diaries on their eating habits and questionnaires on other lifestyle habits, such as exercise, smoking and drinking.

Men and women who had at least three servings of whole grain products a day were less than half as likely to develop metabolic syndrome than the participants who had less than one serving a day. Also, they were approximately half as likely to die from cardiovascular problems. Generally speaking, men and women who were whole-grain consumers tended to have lower blood sugar levels and to weigh less than those who consumed refined grains.

Even after factors such as weight, exercise and lifestyle habits were considered, whole-grain consumption was found to be an independent cause of the reduction in the risk of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular death.

To get the recommended whole grain intake, one should replace, for example, white bread with whole-grain bread and white rice with brown or wild rice.

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