NurseWeek

Study touts benefits of whole grains

By Tanya O’Connor
Health24News
October 20, 2000


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Washington (H24N). Researchers looking at more than 75,000 women over a 12-year period have concluded eating a whole-grain diet significantly reduces the risk of ischemic stroke. The immediate cause of ischemic stroke is the formation of a blood clot that develops inside an artery in the brain blocking blood flow.

Published last week in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), researchers said that there was an "inverse association between whole grain intake and ischemic stroke risk" independent of known risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease.

Of the 75,521 study participants between the ages of 38 and 63, 352 cases of ischemic stroke were confirmed. From four separate food frequency questionnaires taken over the 12 years, researchers correlated the incidence of stroke to diets high in refined foods.

Whole grains have long been valued for their high fiber and nutrient content. Once refined, grains lose most of their life-supporting properties and require the addition of additives and preservatives to maintain their shelf life.

According to Elson Haas, MD, when refined foods have been introduced into various cultures around the world, "a general degradation of their health followed, usually within one generation." More specifically, Haas says that cardiovascular disease and cancer can be directly correlated to those dietary changes.

Lisa Hark, Ph.D., R.D., also touts benefits of a fiber-rich diet in preventing heart problems and cites the preponderance of studies demonstrating that effect. "Epidemiological studies of countries where people eat high-fiber diets have shown a lower incidence of cardiovascular disease compared to populations that eat low-fiber diets," said Hark.

Despite all the purported virtues of whole grains, whole grain-based foods are scarcely found in the American diet and grocery aisles. While some places carry whole-wheat bread, consumers often must go to specialty stores to find whole-grain pastas and desserts, crackers and snacks, brown rice and other natural grains.

Many consumers mistakenly think they are buying whole grain. For example, they may think they are buying whole-wheat bread because the package says "wheat bread," especially if they are purchasing it from a health food store. According to Food and Drug Administration regulations, the label must include the word "whole" for its contents to be whole.