Whole grains may help cut acne
Australian researchers led by Neil Mann recruited 50 young males (age 15-25) with mild to moderate acne for a twelve-week study of the relationship between diet and acne. Half the group ate a typical Western diet, while the other half ate lean meat, poultry, fish, fruits, vegetables and substituted whole grain bread, cereals and rice for refined foods. After twelve weeks, the acne of the group eating more protein and whole grains "improved dramatically, by more than fifty percent."
Journal of Dermatological Science, Apr 2008;50(1):41-52. Epub Jan 4, 2008.
Whole grain offers pre-biotic benefits
A double-blind, randomized, cross-over study at the University of Reading, UK, divided 31 healthy adults into two groups. Half the volunteers ate 48g of whole grain cereal daily; the other half ate the same amount of wheat bran cereal daily for three weeks. After a two-week washout on normal diets, the groups were reversed for a second period of three weeks. The study concluded that whole grain cereal promoted increases in bifidobacteria and lactobacillus, while the bran cereal did not.
British Journal of Nutrition, Jan 2008; vol 99(1):110-20. Epub August 29, 2007.
Whole grains reduce weight, cut CVD risk
In a clinical study conducted at Penn State, researchers put 50 obese adults on a reduced calorie diet for 12 weeks, during which time half the group was asked to eat all their grains as whole grains, and the other half was advised to avoid whole-grain foods. Body weight, waist circumference and percentage body fat decreased significantly in both groups, but the whole grain group saw a signicantly greater decrease in abdominal fat, and a 38% decrease in C-reactive protein (CRP), an inflammatory marker for cardiovascular disease.
Am. Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Jan 2008; vol 87(1): 79-80
Chronic disease risks reduced with whole grain
A team of scientists in Boston and Baltimore led by PK Newby studied data from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging, and found that seniors consuming the most whole grain had lower body mass index (BMI) and weight, and smaller waist circumference. More whole grain consumption was also associated wtih lower total cholesterol, lower LDL cholesterol and improved glucose response.
Am. Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Dec 2007; vol 86(6): 1745-1753
Higher whole grain intake associated with lower BMI
UK researchers Janice Harland and Lynne Garton pooled data from fifteen studies on whole grain intake and BMI or adiposity, and found thatin 119,829 male and female subjects age 13 or older, a higher intake of whole grains (about three servings per day) was associated with lower BMI and less central adiposity (abdominal fat).
Public Health Nutrition, Nov 16, 2007; 1-10. Epublished ahead of print.
Pancreatic cancer risk and whole grains
Pancreatic cancer is the most fatal cancer in the U.S., but eating two servings or more of whole grains daily may cut the risk of this swift and deadly killer by up to 40%. That was the finding of researchers at UC San Francisco led by June Chan, who compared diets of 532 pancreatic cancer patients with 1,701 people not suffering from the disease.
The American Journal of Epidemiology, November 2007; 166(10):1174-1185
Limiting refined carbs reduces risk of macular degeneration
3977 participants in the Age-Related Eye Disease Study were followed for 8 years by Chung-Jung Chiu and a team at Tufts University, who tracked the glycemic index of their diets and the development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The scientists concluded that seniors at risk of AMD may "benefit from consuming a smaller amount of refined carbohydrates."
Am. Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Oct 2007; vol 86(4): 1210-8.
Whole grain cereal for healthier hearts
After following 21,376 male physicians for almost 20 years, Luc Djoussé and J. Michael Gaziano at Harvard found that those eating two to six servings of whole grain cereal a week reduced their risk of heart failure 22%, while those eating whole grains daily reduced risk by 28%. For this study, cereals with at least 25% whole grain or bran by weight were classified as whole grain.
Archives of Internal Medicine, October 2007; 167: 2080-2085
Whole grains reduce hypertension risk
Researchers at Harvard studied nearly 30,000 enrolled in the Women’s Health Study. Lu Wang’s team found that, over ten years, those who ate the most whole grains had an 11% lower chance of developing high blood pressure.
Am. Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Aug 2007; vol 86(2):472-9
Two whole grain servings reduce diabetes risk
Also at the Harvard School of Public Health, researchers led by JS de Munter pooled data from six cohort studies including 286,125 participants, and found that a two-servings a day increment in whole grain consumption was associated with a 21% decrease in risk of type 2 diabetes.
PLoS Medicine, August 2007; 28;4(8):e261
Whole grain and healthier carotid arteries
A study by Philip Mellen at Wake Forest University and colleagues measured atherosclerosis of the common carotid artery, and its progression over five years. Mellen's team found that, among the 1178 men and women in the study, those who ate more whole grains had less unhealthy artherosclerotic thickening of the common carotid artery.
Am. Journal of Clinical Nutrition, June 2007; vol 85(6):1495-1502
Whole grains reduce diabetes risk in 40,000 women
Dr. Rob van Dam and colleagues at the Harvard School of Public Health studied over 40,000 African-American women over eight years, and found that eating more whole-grains and low-fat dairy foods reduced the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes.
Diabetes Care. July 2007;30(7):1753-7
Whole grains reduce inflammatory disease risk
That habitual whole grain consumption reduces the risk of both cardiovascular disease and diabetes has been well documented. Now, a recent study by the University of Minnesota's David Jacobs shows that eating whole grains confers an even greater risk-reduction in mortality from inflammatory diseases. Jacobs and his colleagues followed more than 27,000 post-menopausal women for 17 years and concluded that "oxidative stress reduction by constituents of whole grain is a likely mechanism for the protective effect."
Am. Journal of Clinical Nutrition, June 2007; vol 85(6):1606-1614
More cereal riber associated with less diabetes risk
A team of German researchers led by Matthias Schulze followed over 16,000 adults for a period of seven years and found that those who ate the most cereal fiber had a 27% lower risk of developing diabetes than those who ate the least. No link was noted with total fiber – just with cereal fiber.
Archives of Internal Medicine. May 2007; 14;167(9):956-65
Whole grains may reduce colorectal cancer risk
A team of researchers led by Arthur Schatzkin studied data for almost half a million middle-aged men and women enrolled in the NIH-AARP Diet and Healthy Study, to learn whether fiber intake and/or whole grains might reduce the risk of colorectal cancer. In this analysis, total dietary fiber intake was not associated with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer, but both grain fiber and whole grains were shown likely to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer.
Am. Journal of Clinical Nutrition, May 2007; vol 85(5):1353-1360
Better blood sugar control with certain whole grains
Swedish researchers at Lund University have determined that certain whole grain products can help control blood sugar for up to ten hours. A team led by Anne Nilsson tested four types of grain, and found that barley had the strongest effect, but that wholegrains in bread controlled blood sugar better than grains in boiled porridge.
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. May 23, 2007
Study Confirms Heart Benefits of Whole Grains
Eating an average of 2.5 servings of whole grain foods each day can lower your risk of cardiovascular disease by almost one-quarter. That's the finding of a seven-study meta-analysis of 285,000 men and women led by Philip Mellen of Wake Forest University. In light of this evidence, Mellen said, policy-makers, scientists and clinicians should "redouble efforts" to get people to eat more whole grains.
Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases, April 2007 online
Breast cancer: cereal fiber may affect estrogen regulation
A UK study suggests that women who eat large amounts of fiber could cut breast cancer risk in half. The effect was greatest on pre-menopausal women, which Janet Cade and her team at Leeds University say may be because fiber affects the way the body processes and regulates the female hormone estrogen.
International Journal of Epidemiology, April 2007; 36(2):431-8
Whole grains associated with lower BMI
A study of 150 college students found that higher whole grain intake was associated with lower BMI (Body Mass Index). Overall, students averaged only 0.7 servings per day of whole grain, and authors, led by Nick Rose, noted that low availability of whole grains on and around campus could be responsible for low intake.
Journal of Nutrition and Education Behavior March 2007; Vol. 39 (2); 90-94
High fiber diet cuts inflammation levels
C-reactive protein (CRP), a known marker for inflammation, is increasingly accepted as a good predictor of both type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. A high-fiber diet – whether from foods like whole grains, fruits and vegetables or from fiber supplements – can cut CRP levels up to 40%. Ironically, the effect was more pronounced in healthy lean people than in obese ones, according to lead researcher Dana King at the Medical University of South Carolina.
Archives of Internal Medicine, March 2007; 12;167(5):502-6
Whole grains cut children's asthma risk in half
A team from the Dutch National Institute of Public Health and the Environment found that children who ate whole grains were 54% less likely to develop asthma and 45% less likely to develop wheezing than children who did not eat whole grains.
Thorax, December 2006; 61(12):1048-53
Whole grains may help reduce blood pressure
USDA researcher Kay Behall and colleagues studied a small group of men and women as they followed a 10-week diet where all the grains were whole grains. The subjects, all of whom had slightly elevated cholesterol, showed significant reductions in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure when whole grains were added. They also lost about 1kg during the course of the study– although the whole grain diet was higher in calories than a control low-fat diet with refined grains used at the start of the study.
Journal of the Am. Diet. Assn., Sept. 2006; vol 106(9):1445-9
Whole grains reduce weight, improve nutrition
Researchers at the University of Rhode Island, in a six-month study headed up by Kathleen Melanson, found that whole grain cereals helped 180 overweight adults lose weight while increasing their consumption of fiber, magnesium and vitamin B-6.
Journal of the American Dietetic Assn. Sept. 2006;106(9):1380-8
Gum disease risk reduced with whole grains
The risk of periodontitis, a serious inflammation of the gums that is the major cause of tooth loss in adults, may be reduced by eating more whole grains. Anwar Merchant and colleagues at McMaster University in Ontario studied more than 34,000 men over a 14-year period, and concluded that three to four servings of whole grains daily "may be optimal to reduce periodontitis risk."
Am. Journal of Clinical Nutrition, June 2006; vol 83(6):1395-1400
Whole grains cut triglycerides
Nancy Keim and a team at the USDA ARS Western Human Nutrition Center studied 10 women age 20-45 who ate a whole grain diet for three days, then ate the same foods but with refined grains in place of whole grains. Blood samples at the end of each 3-day period showed that the refined grains diet caused a significant increase in triglycerides and a worrisome protein called "apolipoprotein CIII" (apoCIII), both of which have been associated with increased risk of heart disease. A larger study is underway.
Agricultural Research, March 2006, 20-21
Whole grains lower diabetes, heart risk
A joint Danish-American study analyzed diet records and took blood samples from 938 healthy men and women. The team, including Majken Jensen of Aarhus University Hospital and the Harvard School of Public Health, found that those with the highest whole grain consumption had the lowest levels of risk factors in their blood: homocysteine 17% lower, insulin and C-peptide both 14% lower, and leptin 11% lower. Researchers concluded, "The results suggest a lower risk of diabetes and heart disease in persons who consume diets high in whole grains."
Am. Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Feb. 2006; vol 83(2):275-283
Children benefit quickly from healthy diet
Overweight children, age 9-15, spent two weeks on an all-you-can-eat diet of whole grains, fruits, vegetables and lean protein, while exercising 2.5 hours each day. UCLA researchers led by Dr. James Barnard reported that in just two weeks the children's cholesterol levels dropped an average of 21%, while insulin levels fell 30%. Leptin, a hormone thought to be connected to appetite, decreased on average 57%.
Study presented at American Heart Assn. conference, Mar. 2006
Whole grains reduce elderly mortality
While many studies have previously shown that whole grains reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome in middle-aged adults, a recent study led by Nadine Sahyoun at the University of Maryland shows for the first time that this benefit extends to older adults. In Sahyoun's study, whole grains were also linked with a lower overall risk of mortality from cardiovascular disease.
Am. Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Jan. 2006; vol 83(1):124-133
Whole grains slow buildup of plaque
Following up on studies that show a relationship between whole grain consumption and heart health, researchers at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, led by Alice Lichtenstein, have found one reason why. Over 3 years, they studied the diet habits and artery-diameter measurements of 229 post-menopausal women already diagnosed with a heart condition, and found that eating 6 servings or more per week of whole grains was associated with slower buildup of artery-narrowing plaque.
American Heart Journal, July 2005; Vol 150(1):94-101.
Whole grains helpyour heart
Yet another study documents the relationship between whole grain consumption and heart health. Dr. Majken Jensen and fellow professionals at the Harvard School of Public Health analyzed diet and health records of over 27,000 men aged 40-75, over a period of 14 years, and found that those with the highest whole grain intake (about 40g per day) cut heart disease risk by almost 20% – but even those eating just 25g cut their CHD risk by 15%.
Am. Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Dec. 2004; vol 80:1492-1499
Whole grains high in antioxidants
Dr. Rui Hai Liu of Cornell and his colleagues discovered that whole grains contain protective antioxidants in quantities rivalling or exceeding those in fruits and vegetables. Corn, for instance, has almost twice the antioxidant activity of apples, while wheat and oats almost equal broccoli and spinach in antioxidant activity.
American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) International Conference on Food, Nutrition and Cancer, Nov. 2004
Whole grains help you weigh less
A team led by Dr. Pauline Koh-Banerjee studied diet and health records of 72,000 men and found that those who ate 40 grams of whole grains per day cut middle-age weight gain by up to 3.5 pounds. Just one cup of cooked oatmeal or two slices of whole-wheat bread would provide this amount of whole grain.
Am. Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Nov. 2004; vol 80(5):1237-45
Whole grains reduce diabetes risk
Dr. Nicola McKeown and fellow researchers at Tufts University found that people who eat three or more servings of whole grains a day, especially from high-fiber cereals, are less likely to develop insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome, common precursors of both Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Diabetes Care, February 2004; vol 27:538-546
Whole grains cut heart disease risk
Researchers led by Dr. Mark Pereira collected data on 91,058 men and 245,186 women who participated in 10 studies in the US and Europe. After 6-10 years of followup, the research showed that, for each 10 grams of fiber consumed per day, there was a 14% reduction in heart disease risk and a 25% reduction in risk of dying from heart disease. In short, the cereal fiber in whole grains appears to make heart disease much less likely—and less serious if it does occur.
Archives of Internal Medicine, February 2004; vol 164:370-376
Whole grains lower obesity risk
As part of the well-known Nurses' Study, Simin Liu and fellow researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health followed over 74,000 women from 1984-1996, and concluded that women who consumed more whole grains consistently weighed less than women who consumed less whole grains.
Am. Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Nov. 2003; vol 78:5/920-927
Whole grains lessen rectal cancer risk
At the University of Utah, a team led by Dr. Martha Slattery found that high intakes of vegetables, fruits and whole grains reduced the risk of rectal cancer by 28%, 27% and 31% respectively. A high-fiber diet (more than 34 grams of fiber per day) reduced rectal cancer by an impressive 66%, in this study of over 2000 people.
Am. Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Feb. 2004; vol 79:2/274-281
© Reproduced with permission of the Whole Grains Council, 2008.