Whole Grains Linked to Better Heart Health

A diet high in whole grains is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, including heart disease and stroke, says a U.S. study.

Consuming an average of 2.5 servings of whole grains each day is associated with a 21-percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease compared with consuming only 0.2 servings, according to the study published online in Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases.

These findings suggest that we should redouble our efforts to encourage patients to include more of these foods in their diets, lead author Dr. Philip Mellen of Wake Forest University School of Medicine said in a statement.

The findings are based on an analysis of seven studies involving more than 285,000 people. By combining the data from the seven studies, researchers were able to detect effects that may not have shown up in each individual study, according to Mellen.