Whole grains may reduce heart risk in elderly

By Amy Norton

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – 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, told Reuters Health.

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.