In recent years, evidence has been growing showing the health benefits of whole grains. Current dietary recommendations and expert guidelines recommend eating whole grains as much as possible. Studies have shown that a higher intake of whole grains lowers the risk of diseases including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. There has not been as much research on whole grains and mortality.
Researchers using data from ongoing studies looked at 74,000 women and 44,000 men over 25 years and found higher whole grain intake was associated with lower total mortality, especially cardiovascular mortality, mostly due to bran intake, not the germ portion of grains. There was no association with cancer mortality.
This study further confirms the benefits of eating whole grains in adults. The benefits are likely to be even greater across a lifetime for people who start eating whole grains in childhood.
