The study showed that the risk of dying prematurely from heart disease and stroke dropped in those who had three or more servings of whole grains than those who had very less or none.
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Lead researcher Qi Sun from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health said that it is well-established that eating whole grains reduces risk for colorectal cancer and cardiovascular diseases.
The study also warned people against low-carbohydrate diets without whole grain content as these may be linked to higher risk of heart diseases and death.
The risk of dying prematurely from all causes was 18% lower for individuals who consumed a lot of whole grains compared to those who consumed lesser amounts, while three additional servings each day were associated with a 17% reduction in mortality. Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend three or more servings of whole grains per day, but most US adults get less than one serving per day, the authors write.
As per a new study, consuming almost four servings of whole grains such as bran, oatmeal and quinoa a day can reduce the risk of premature death.
Those who chose to forgo all whole grains had the highest chances of becoming the victims of heart disease. The studies involved 786,000 people in total and included research published up to February 2016 along with unpublished data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) III which ran from 1988 to 1994.
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Whole grains contain minerals and constituents, including Fe. In the United States average consumption remains below one serving a day, despite the long-time recommendation of three servings a day.
Now most people only consume about 19g of fibre per day.
The main argument is that the fiber present in whole-grain food aids in blood sugar regulation. Dietary fiber also helps improve blood cholesterol levels, and lower the risk of stroke and obesity. By contrast, refined grains like white breads, white rice and white wheat flour provide little of those benefits.
Researchers noted that for about every serving (16 g) of whole grains there was a 7% decreased risk in total deaths, and a 9% decline in cardiovascular disease-related deaths.
Fiber from whole grains also increases the feeling of satiety, so you will eat fewer calories, lower the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and maintain a healthy weight.
The opposite trend of eating whole grains, fruits, vegetables, fish, nuts, legumes and low-fat dairy products was ideal for heart health. All studies assessed whole grain intake through questionnaires.
The research was published in the American Heart Association journal.
In the latest analysis, 12 studies were included from the US, Scandinavia and the UK.
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Whole-grain nutrients are released in the digestive tract more slowly than in refined grains, and we tend to chew whole grains longer thus stimulating more satiety hormones, which is not the case with soft, sweetened, refined cereal-based foods, Fardet told Reuters Health by email.
