Consuming more whole grains reduces your risk of premature death, claims a new study. And, it's fiber which makes the difference.
Researchers explain that not only does fiber benefit the heart, helping to prevent heart attacks, but fiber from whole grains also lowers the risk of respiratory diseases, such as pneumonia and chronic bronchitis, and other infectious diseases.
In addition to fiber, the American Heart Association lists whole grains as a good source of iron, which carries oxygen in the blood, and selenium, known to strengthen the immune system.
Writing in the Archives of Internal Medicine, scientists found that fiber from whole grains - not fruits and vegetables - had the biggest impact on lowering death risk; even from cancer. The research included data on more than 500,000 AARP members; surveying study participants about their eating habits over a nine-year period.
The findings revealed people who ate the most fiber (30 grams a day for men, and 25 grams a day for women) were 22% less likely to die from any cause during the study, compared to individuals eating the least amount of fiber (13 grams a day for men, and 11 grams a day for women).
For specific diseases, men consuming a high-fiber diet had a 24% lower risk of dying from heart disease, 31% reduced risk of dying from respiratory diseases, 56% lower risk to die from an infectious disease, and were 17% less likely to die from cancer. The reductions in risk were similar for women.
But, the scientists aren't sure why high-fiber intake was associated with lower death-risk from respiratory disease and infectious diseases. It could be fiber's anti-inflammatory properties, but more research is needed.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention include whole grains in its list of foods for maintaining a healthy weight; along with fruits, vegetables, low-fat and fat-free milk products, fish, and lean cuts of poultry and meat.
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