Could Eating More Grains Reduce Cardiovascular Risk?

A new study finds that eating more grains could reduce total mortality risk, especially deaths related to cardiovascular disease (CVD). 

“The benefits of consuming whole grains on prevention of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease are well-established,” says Frank B. Hu, MD, PhD, a professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, and lead author of the study.

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“Our study suggests that higher whole grain consumption is also associated with lower mortality and longevity.”

In an effort to evaluate the connection between whole grain intake and overall health, Hu and a Harvard-led team of researchers analyzed data from the Nurses' Health Study—which included 74,341 women who were assessed between the years 1984 and 2010—and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, which analyzed 43,744 men between 1986 and 2010.  

Participants were required to complete food-frequency questionnaires every 2 to 4 years. The authors estimated whole grain intakes based on the dry weight of whole grain ingredients in all foods the participants consumed which contained grain, such as bread, rice, breakfast cereals, and pasta, for instance. The researchers noted that all participants were free of cancer and cardiovascular disease at the baseline of both studies. Over both studies, they identified 26,920 deaths. 

Results revealed that a higher intake of whole grains was linked to reduced risk of overall mortality, and a lower risk of CVD. More specifically, each serving of whole grains (28 g) was associated with a 5% lower total mortality risk or a 9% lower risk of CVD mortality. Wu and his co-authors point out, however, that they found no connection between whole grain intake and reduced cancer mortality.

For primary care physicians, “the take-home message is that PCPs should recommend their patients choose whole grains such as brown rice, barley, oats, and rye, and cut back on refined grain products such as white bread, white rice, and muffins, which are stripped of valuable nutrients during refining process,” says Hu. “Besides healthy types of carbohydrates, one should also choose healthy types of fats from vegetable oils, nuts, and seeds, instead of saturated fat from meats and dairy.” 

—Mark McGraw

Reference:

Hu F, Flint A, et al. Association between dietary whole grain intake and risk of mortality: two large prospective studies in US men and women. JAMA Intern Med. 2015.