Scimex: A diet high in whole grains and cereal fibers is associated with a
reduced risk of premature death, a US study has found. The authors
report that consuming an average of 10.22 grams of cereal fiber a day is
associated with a 19 per cent reduced risk of death compared to those
consuming an average of 2.02 grams a day. The results also show cereal fibers to be associated with reduced
risk of deaths in varying degrees for chronic diseases including cancer,
heart disease, respiratory disease and diabetes.
Whole grains are the entire seed of a plant that is used for food and
contains the germ, bran and endospore, such as wheat, oat and quinoa.
They are rich sources of dietary fiber and other nutrients such as
minerals and antioxidants.
Researchers from Harvard Public School of Health led by Lu Qi analyzed
the results of the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study. This a large cohort
study involving 566,339 members of AARP – a membership organization of
people aged 50 and over – from the states of California, Florida,
Louisiana, New Jersey, North Carolina and Pennsylvania, and the
metropolitan areas of Georgia and Detroit.
In 1993, the cohort participants were sent a questionnaire to gather
information on their health and diet - based on frequency of intake for
various food types including portion size. Participants who indicated in
their initial questionnaires that they had cancer, heart disease,
stroke, diabetes or end-stage renal disease were excluded from the
study. This meant a total of 367,442 participants were included in this
particular research. Those who participated were followed for an average
of 14 years.
The researchers found that consumption of an average 1.2 ounces (34
grams) of whole grains a day was associated with a 17% reduced risk of
premature death compared to those consuming an average of 0.13 ounces
(3.98 grams). Even when they accounted for factors such as health
status, physical activity and obesity status the reduction remained the
same. They found that consuming an average of 0.4 ounces (10.22 grams)
of cereal fibers a day was associated with a 19% reduced overall risk of
death compared to those consuming an average 0.07 ounces (2.02 grams).
When broken down for individual chronic diseases the research reveals
surprising information. High whole grains consumption was associated
with an 11% and 48% reduced risk of death from respiratory disease and
diabetes, respectively. Whereas a high consumption of cereal fibers had a
15% and 34% reduced risk of mortality from cancer and diabetes,
respectively.
After the researchers adjusted for cereal fiber in a model that examined
the relationships among multiple variables, the benefits of whole
grains either disappeared or were reduced. This suggests that the cereal
fiber component of whole grains accounts for the actions of the whole
grains, and that cereal fiber rich whole grain foods may have health
benefits.
As this is an observational study it is not possible to confirm that
whole grains and fiber are causing this reduced risk. But the team
believes the cereal fiber found in both food types – cereal fiber and
whole grains – may have protective effects thanks to multiple protective
properties such as anti-inflammation. Further studies are needed to
confirm if this is in fact the case.
Lu Qi says: “Our study indicates that intake of whole grains and cereal
fiber may reduce the risk of all-cause mortality and death from chronic
diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and respiratory
disease. Our findings should motivate future studies especially clinical
trials and experimental studies to further testify the beneficial
effects of whole grains and potential effective components such as fiber
and other nutrients, and explore mechanisms.”