Grains Protect Against Heart Disease

Consumption of both refined and whole grains helped reduce weight, blood pressure, and total and LDL cholesterol among overweight and obese patients, according to a study published in the Journal of Nutrition. Researchers compared heart disease risk factors in 40 participants on either a whole-grain diet, including rice, wheat, and oats, or a refined-grain diet. While both groups saw health improvements, decreased diastolic blood pressure was three times greater in the whole-grain group, compared to the refined-grain group. Researchers suspect similar dietary interventions may prove effective for hypertension prevention and lower mortality risks for heart disease.