Whole Grains Could Prevent Cardiovascular Disease

20 Oct 2016 --- Eating plenty of whole grains such as porridge, brown bread and rice, could significantly reduce the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, according to a new study published on the Journal of Nutrition.

One of the largest controlled studies of its kind, the study suggests that people can reduce high blood pressure, one of the main causes of heart attacks and strokes, by following the high fiber diet.

Researchers conducted a double-blind, randomized, controlled crossover trial in overweight or obese men and women aged under 50 with no known history of cardiovascular disease.

The participants were fed complete whole-grain and refined-grain diets for two 8 week periods, with a 10 week washout between the diets.

Macronutrient composition was matched, except for the inclusion of either whole grains or refined grains, and measurements included blood pressure, body composition, blood lipids and adiponectin, and markers of inflammation and glycemia.

Substantial reductions in body weight, fat loss, systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol were also observed during both diet periods, with no relevant difference between them.

Most notably, the results showed that while on the whole grain diet, the participants diastolic blood pressure, the lowest pressure when the heart relaxes between beats, improved by three times compared to when they were eating a refined grain diet.

Because diastolic blood pressure predicts mortality in adults aged under 50, the researchers claim that a diet rich is whole-grains may provide a functional approach to control hypertension, benefiting patients at risk of vascular-related morbidity and mortality.