Adding more of one type of food to your diet could improve both your heart health and your waistline, according to a new study. Researchers from Tabriz University of Medical Sciences in Iran, and Imperial College, London, found that a higher intake of whole grains was associated with a lower risk of cardiometabolic diseases and a reduction in body weight. The study was published in the European Heart Journal on September 15.
Helda Tutunchi, study lead and researcher at Tabriz University of Medical Sciences said in a statement: "Our findings provide a practical indication of the amount of wholegrain that may be needed to achieve meaningful improvements in cardiovascular risk factors. Increasing wholegrain intake is a relatively simple, accessible and affordable dietary strategy that can complement other lifestyle and medical interventions." Other studies have found similar associations, Kathleen Melanson, a professor of nutrition science at the University of Rhode Island, told Newsweek. She said that the findings suggest measures are needed to improve whole grain intake in America, as less than 2 percent of the population currently consumes the recommended amount daily.
She added that while whole grains are shown to be beneficial, "it should not be forgotten that the entirety of the diet matters, so other dietary components such as vegetables, legumes, fruits, and healthy sources of proteins and lipids should be taken into account." Cardiometabolic diseases, which include both metabolic diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, affect a substantial proportion of adults in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Collectively, cardiometabolic diseases are believed to have been responsible for over 4.8 million deaths among the U.S. working-age population (those aged between 25 to 64) between 1990 and 2017. Grains are the seeds of grasses grown for food, like wheat, oats and rice.
These plants also are called cereals. Whole grains have all the parts of the grain—unlike refined or fortified grains where some parts are removed. Examples of whole-grain food include brown rice, quinoa, corn, oatmeal, buckwheat, spelt, and whole-grain breads and pastas.
The American Heart Association recommends eating three or more servings of fiber-rich whole grains every day, but most U.S. adults and children have been found to eat below that amount. The study was a systematic review, including data from 87 clinical trials that tested the effects of eating whole grains on risk factors for cardiovascular disease, and more than 6,500 people were involved from across Asia, Europe, the U.S., Canada, Australia and Brazil. The findings showed that higher whole-grain intake was associated with reductions in body weight, waist circumference and blood pressure, as well as lower levels of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL or “bad”) cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose and interleukin-6 (a marker of inflammation) in the blood.
These benefits could be seen in people eating 30 to 40 grams of whole grains per day (dry weight), but the greatest benefits were found in people eating 60 to 100 grams per day—which corresponds to four to six servings of whole grains daily, for example, a bowl of oatmeal, a sandwich made with wholegrain bread, and a serving of brown rice. Tutunchi said in a statement that "although the change in each individual risk factor was generally modest, improving several risk factors simultaneously could contribute to a greater reduction in long-term cardiovascular risk." As the study also focused on trials with a median duration of eight weeks, further research is needed to better understand the impact of whole grains on human health in the long-term. It is also not clear whether adding more whole grains or swapping whole grains in place of other grains is most beneficial.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
