Whole Grain Cereals Prolong Life

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Whole Grain Cereals Prolong Life JoAnn Guest Jun 15, 2003 16:54 PDT

 

 

 

Whole Grain Cereals Prolong Life

 

6/12/03 - Healthnotes Newswire—Men who eat whole grain cereals have

lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease and all other causes

than men who eat refined grain cereals, according to a new study in the

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2003;77:594–9).

Current dietary recommendations emphasize grain products as part of the

foundation of a balanced diet. Unrefined whole grains contain abundant

amounts of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, fiber and other beneficial

nutrients. Highly refined grains, on the other hand, which are the most

common type of grain products eaten in the United States, provide

substantially smaller quantities of these important nutrients. There is

a growing awareness of the importance of the quality, as much as the

quantity, of grains in the diet. Several studies have found that

increased consumption of whole grains reduces risk of type 2 diabetes

and cardiovascular disease, and other studies have linked high

consumption of refined grain products with type 2 diabetes and risk of

death from all causes.

 

The current study came out of data collected during the Physicians’

Health Study, in which over 86,000 male physicians in the United States

participated. Study participants completed a food-frequency

questionnaire and were ranked according to their consumption of whole

grain breakfast cereals, refined grain breakfast cereals, and total

breakfast cereals. Whole grain cereals were defined as those containing

at least 25% whole grain or bran by weight. Follow-up was conducted over

an average of 5.5 years.

 

Analysis of the data revealed a significant reduction in the risk of

death from cardiovascular disease and death from all causes in the men

eating the greatest quantity of whole grain cereals compared with those

eating the fewest servings of whole grain cereals. Neither refined grain

cereal nor total cereal intake, however, had any effect on risk of death

from cardiovascular or other causes. These results remained significant

after taking into account other factors of diet and lifestyle known to

be associated with risk of cardiovascular and all causes of death such

as smoking, exercise, weight, vegetable intake and use of multivitamins.

Men eating one or more servings of whole grain cereals per day had

approximately a 20% lower risk of death from cardiovascular and other

causes compared with men never or rarely eating whole grain cereals.

 

The results of this study contribute to our understanding of the

importance of whole grains in the diet. Future dietary recommendations

should include guidelines for evaluating the quality of grain products

based on their whole grain content. It is noteworthy that only 12% of

the men in this study, all of whom were highly educated and

theoretically knowledgeable about health, reported eating at least one

serving of whole grain cereals per day, suggesting a societal lack of

understanding of the nutritional value of whole grains.

 

Other behaviors shown to reduce the risk of death from cardiovascular

disease and other causes include not smoking, maintaining a healthy

weight for your height, practicing regular physical activity, consuming

large amounts of vegetables and taking a multivitamin.

 

—Maureen Williams, N.D.

 

Maureen Williams, N.D., received her bachelor’s degree from the

University of Pennsylvania and her Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine

from Bastyr University in Seattle, WA. She has a private practice in

Quechee, Vermont, and does extensive work with traditional herbal

medicine in Guatemala and Honduras. Dr. Williams is a regular

contributor to Healthnotes Newswire.

 

2003 Healthnotes, Inc. All rights reserved. Republication or

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without the prior written consent of Healthnotes, Inc. Healthnotes

Newswire is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not

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thereon. Healthnotes and the Healthnotes logo are registered trademarks

of Healthnotes, Inc.

 

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