Older adults who regularly eat whole grains
like high-fiber cereals and cooked oatmeal may be less
likely to develop a cluster of conditions that raise the
risk of heart attack and stroke, a new study suggests.
Researchers found that among 535 adults between 60 and
98 years old, those who ate more whole-grain foods were
less likely to develop a group of risk factors known as
metabolic syndrome or to die of cardiovascular disease
over the next 12 to 15 years.
The findings, say the study authors, suggest that young
and old alike should follow experts' advice to bump up
their whole-grain intake to at least three servings a
day.
Metabolic syndrome refers to a cluster of conditions,
including high blood pressure, high cholesterol and high
blood sugar levels, and abdominal obesity, which raise
a person's risk of heart disease, stroke and kidney damage.
Some research has suggested that middle-age adults can
lower their risk of metabolic syndrome by favoring whole
grains such as bran, oats and brown rice over highly processed
grain products like white bread.
But until now, no studies had looked specifically at
an elderly population, Dr. Nadine R. Sahyoun, the lead
author of the new study stated.
Yet, any effects of diet on metabolic risk factors may
be even more evident in older adults, because with aging
comes a greater susceptibility to abnormal blood sugar
control, according to Sahyoun, an assistant professor
of nutrition and food science at the University of Maryland
in College Park.
She and her colleagues report their findings in the American
Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
All of the study subjects underwent a physical exam,
completed a 3-day food diary to track their eating habits,
and provided information on other lifestyle habits such
as exercise, smoking and drinking.
Overall, the researchers found that men and women with
the highest whole-grain intake -- typically three servings
a day -- were less than half as likely to have metabolic
syndrome as their peers who consumed less than one serving
of whole grains per day.
Similarly, whole-grain eaters were about half as likely
to die from cardiovascular disease over the next 12 to
15 years.
Men and women who ate more whole grains also tended to
have lower blood sugar levels and to weigh less than those
who favored refined grains.
Even when factors such as weight, overall diet and exercise
habits were considered, whole-grain intake was still independently
associated with a reduced risk of metabolic syndrome and
death from cardiovascular disease.
Sahyoun and her colleagues point to a number of potential
reasons for these whole-grain benefits, including improved
sensitivity to the blood-sugar-regulating hormone insulin,
healthier cholesterol levels and better blood vessel function.
Getting more whole grains in the diet can be a confusing
task, Sahyoun acknowledged, since people may assume label
phrasing such as "wheat bread" and "stone-ground" is synonymous
with whole grain.
Consumers, she said, should look specifically for the
words "whole grain" on cereals, breads and other grain
products. Because the Food and Drug
Administration allows products rich in whole grains
to make certain health claims, many manufacturers tout
their products' whole-grain content prominently.
According to Sahyoun, replacing refined grains with whole
ones -- whole-grain bread rather than white, brown or
wild rice instead of white -- is the way to fit in the
recommended three servings of whole grains without tacking
on calories.
SOURCE: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, January
2006.
