Review suggests whole grains might not be as heart-healthy as we think

We all know whole grains are our best dietary bet for staying healthy—right?

One University of Warwick physician in the U.K. has suggested eating a diet rich in whole grains actually hasn’t been proven to be beneficial to heart health, Reuters reports. Karen Rees, PhD, recently published a research review in the Cochrane Library concluding any past experiments testing the cardiovascular benefits of whole grains have been “too small, too brief or both, making it impossible to determine how these foods might lead to long-term heart benefits in the general population.”

Some doctors disagree with Rees's angle, telling Reuters it’s a well-known fact that high-fiber diets are, at least marginally, successful in altering risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Still, just nine studies encompassing a total 1,414 subjects have provided insight into the question at hand. All participants in those studies were between 24 and 70 years old, and none were tested for the benefits of consuming whole grains for more than four months.

“The point is that whole grains, when added to a whole diet of fruits and vegetables, do make a difference in cardiovascular risk factors,” Margo Denke, MD, told Reuters. “One needs to quit asking small modifications to bear the weight of the effects of a complete diet; diet is not a simple thing and diet is a composite, an overall approach to life.”

Read the full discussion from Reuters here: