Whole Grains Consumption Cuts Heart Failure Risk in
Men by 29 Percent by David Gutierrez
NaturalNews, May 5 2008

Source: Natural News

Contact information:  Natural News

Eating whole grain cereal for breakfast every day can
reduce a man's risk of heart disease by 29 percent,
according to a study published in the Archives of
Internal Medicine. The Physicians Health Study I
surveyed 21,000 U.S. doctors on their diets and health
status over the course of 19 years. In this time,
1,018 of the doctors developed heart failure, which
occurs when the heart no longer pumps blood
effectively.

The researchers found that men who ate breakfast
cereal seven times or more a week had a 29 percent
lower risk of heart failure than those who never ate
breakfast cereal. This reduction in risk was
calculated after adjusting for other risk factors,
such as smoking.

The reduction in risk only came from consuming whole
grain breakfast cereals. When the researchers looked
only at refined cereal consumption, the benefit
disappeared.

The current study was the first to look directly at
the relationship between breakfast cereal consumption
and heart disease risk on a large scale.

Scientists have long known of an association between
whole grain consumption and improved health, including
cardiovascular health. The higher dietary fiber
content of such grains improves digestive health and
reduces the incidence of certain cancers, gum
diseases, diabetes, obesity and coronary heart
disease. In addition to a high fiber content, whole
grains have a lower glycemic index than refined
grains, and a higher content of antioxidants, protein,
vitamins and minerals.

According to researcher Luc Djouss€ ¦é of Harvard Medical
School, the coronary health benefits of whole grains
may arise indirectly from their effects on indirect
heart disease risk factors, including high blood
pressure, diabetes and obesity.

Whole grains are derived from grain seeds that have
not had the seed's outer coating, or bran and germ,
removed. Refined grains retain only the seed's
endosperm, which is the portion highest in simple carbohydrates.