Whole grains lower disease risk

NEXT TIME you buy cereal or a loaf of bread, check the ingredients. A study of nearly 34,000 Norwegian adults showed that those who ate the most whole grains had a 23 percent reduced risk of death from heart disease and a 21 percent reduced risk of death from cancer, compared to people who ate little or no whole grains. Even better news, however, according to lead researcher David Jacobs Jr., M.D., of the University of Minnesota, is that when other lifestyle factors such as physical activity and not smoking are considered, the reduction in disease risk is about 50 percent. "The recommendation is that whole grains be one part of a healthy diet," says Jacobs.

According to U.S. Department of Agriculture dietary guidelines, you should eat several whole-grain servings a day. How do you know you're getting whole grains as opposed to the refined variety? The word enriched is "a definite due that [the grain] is not whole," says Jacobs. Check that one of the first ingredients listed (preferably the first) is "rolled" or "steel cut" oats, or "whole," "cracked" or "steel cut" wheat. Also, look for two or more grams of fiber per serving for bread and three or more for cereal. Other ways to get more whole grains in your diet include brown rice (white rice is refined) and whole-grain pancakes, brownies, cookies and pizza, says Jacobs.

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