Eating three servings of whole-grain foods daily may help reduce the risk of heart disease, researchers report.
In a study published in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 233 middle-aged healthy adults first followed a four-week control diet. Then, they were randomly assigned to one of three groups: a control group, a wheat group or a wheat plus oats group for 12 weeks. The researchers assessed heart disease risk factors, including inflammatory markers, insulin sensitivity, cholesterol levels and blood pressure.
A total of 205 participants completed the study. The researchers found that systolic blood pressure and pulse pressure were significantly reduced by 6 and 3mmHg, respectively in the whole-grain groups compared to the control group. Overall, systemic markers of heart disease risk were similar between the two groups.
The researchers concluded that whole-grain foods may significantly lower the risk of heart disease, mainly due to blood pressure-lowering effects. The results support earlier evidence that a low-calorie diet rich in whole grains may help prevent heart disease.
Source:
Natural Standard August 2010
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez/20685951
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