A DIET that includes three daily servings of whole grains appears to help people live longer, according to findings released last Monday (13).
For each 16-gram serving of whole grains, public health researchers at Harvard University noted a seven per cent decrease in overall risk of death, including a nine per cent decline in risk of heart disease death and five per cent decline in risk of cancer-related death.
Upping whole grain intake to three servings per day, or 48 grams, brought about a 20 per cent drop in overall risk of death, including a 25 per cent decline in risk of heart disease death and 14 per cent decline in risk of cancer-related death.
For their research, scientists analysed results of more than 12 previous studies conducted between 1970 and 2010 in the US, Britain and Scandinavian countries, involving 786,076 male and female participants. “These findings further support current dietary guidelines that recommend at least three daily servings (or 48 grams) of whole grains to improve long-term health and prevent premature death,” senior author Qi Sun of Harvard’s Department of Nutrition said.
He warned against popular lowcarbohydrate diets that ignore the benefits of whole grains, saying they should be “adopted with caution” because they may be linked to higher risk of heart disease.
Whole grains include foods such as whole wheat, oats, brown rice and quinoa. They contain fibre, which may improve cholesterol levels and lower the risk of heart disease, stroke, obesity and type two diabetes.
They also provide nutrients like B vitamins and minerals (iron, zinc, copper, and magnesium) that are lost during the refining process.
