Eating 60 to 100 grams of whole grains a day, roughly four to six servings, was linked to improvements in several heart-health risk factors in a new analysis published in the European Heart Journal, according to the European Society of Cardiology. The research, led by Dr. Helda Tutunchi of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences in Iran, pooled 87 clinical trials involving more than 6,500 people across Asia, Europe, North America, Australia, and Brazil.
Whole-grain intake was associated with lower body weight, waist circumference, blood pressure, total and LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and fasting glucose, as well as reduced insulin resistance and a marker of inflammation. Benefits began at 30 to 40 grams a day. A bowl of oatmeal, a wholegrain bread sandwich, or a serving of brown rice each counts as one serving.
The trials averaged about eight weeks and measured risk factors rather than heart events, so longer-term studies are still needed.