Whole Grains In Your Diet Will Make You Live Longer

Eating a diet that is rich in whole grains will make you live longer according to a recent Harvard study. The study reveals that the health benefits of eating whole grains reduces the risk of early death in a person.

Dr Qi Sun, a professor of nutrition at Harvard, stated that the results of the study show that there’s a clear link between intake of whole grain food and low mortality. He further added that after conducting the study, researchers have estimated that one ounce of whole grains reduces the risk of an early death by 5 percent and the risk of heart diseases is reduced by 9 percent. However, the study did not present any evidence that whole grains reduced the risk of having cancer.

The study was conducted by Dr. Suhn and his team. The team based its results on the analysis of data compiled from two long term health studies that were started in the mid-1980s. The studies involved more than a 100,000 health professionals. The participants were made to answer a questionnaire regarding food and diet every four years.

Grains such as oatmeal, barley and wheat comprise of three parts. The first part is the bran. Bran is the outer shell that gives protection to the seed. The second part is the embryo that is found inside the seed. The embryo is called the germ and it can grow up into a new plant. The third and the largest part is the endosperm. It is a source of food for the new plant that may grow from the germ.

When the grains are processed to make flour, manufacturers remove the bran and the germ from the grain. The remaining endosperm is rich in calories. However, whole grains have all the three parts intact and this is why they are considered very healthy.

Dr Sun stated that over the course of 30 years, 27000 participants of the studies died. When researchers investigated their deaths, they found that the majority of the early deaths among the group were of people who had the lowest intake of whole grains.

Dr Sun pointed out that whole grains have a very high fibre content which is very beneficial for the body. Fibre slows the digestion of the body and also prevents large variations in the blood sugar level. The bran and germ part of the grains are known to contain many vital vitamins and minerals.