Raising bran

Nutrition Action Healthletter, April, 2005

Men who consume more bran have a lower risk of heart disease.

In a study of more than 42,000 men, those who typically are at least 7 grams of bran a day had a 30 percent lower risk of coronary heart disease than those who consumed no bran.

While men who consumed more whole grains also had a lower risk, the link with bran was stronger. (Earlier studies showed a lower risk in women who eat more whole grains.)

Although the bran eaters had fiber-rich diets, the researchers suggest that it's not fiber alone, but the vitamins, minerals, plant estrogens, or antioxidants in bran or whole grains that help protect the heart.

What to do: Eat more whole grains, especially bran cereals that are high in fiber (at least 5 grams per serving). They're usually a richer source of fiber than bran muffins, wheat bran bread, oat bran bread, or whole-wheat bread.

Amer. J. Clin. Nutr. 80: 1492, 2004.