Better yet, a new Harvard study suggests that the secret to a long and healthy life is to add whole grains to your daily diet. It has linked the daily consumption of whole grains to a lower risk of chronic diseases like heart trouble, diabetes, certain cancers and other health problems. The results published in the open access journal BMC Medicine also showed that a diet high in whole grains and cereal fibres may reduce your risk of premature death.
The study included 367,442 people above age 50 who were followed for about 14 years. They were asked to fill questionnaires to gather information on their health and diet - based on frequency of meals, food types and portion size.
Researchers found that consumption of an average 34 grams of whole grains per 1000 kilocalories (kcal) per day was associated with a 17 percent reduced risk of premature death compared to those consuming an average of 3.98 grams per 1000 kcal per day.
Even when they accounted for factors such as health status, physical activity and obesity status the results remained the same. They found that consuming an average of 10.22 grams per 1000 kcal of cereal fibers a day was associated with a 19 percent reduced overall risk of death compared to those consuming an average 2.02 grams per 1000 kcal per day.
When broken down for individual chronic diseases the research reveals surprising information.
High whole grain consumption was associated with an 11 percent and 48 percent reduced risk of death from respiratory disease and diabetes, respectively.
Whereas high consumption of cereal fibers had a 15 percent and 34 percent reduced risk of mortality from cancer and diabetes, respectively. According to the scientists, whole grains and cereal fibre may be help due to certain protective properties like anti-inflammation.
