Whole grains and long-term health: a major BMJ review

What does the research say?

Pooling dozens of long-term studies, researchers found that people eating about three servings (90 g) of whole grains a day had a lower risk of heart disease, cancer and dying early than people eating few or none.

The science

The review combined prospective cohort studies from the US, Europe and Asia, following hundreds of thousands of people over time.

For each additional 90 g a day of whole grains, the risk of coronary heart disease was about 19% lower, cardiovascular disease about 22% lower, total cancer about 15% lower and death from any cause about 17% lower. Benefits continued up to around 210–225 g a day.

Key findings

• Lower risk of coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disease with higher whole-grain intake.
• Lower total cancer risk and all-cause mortality.
• Benefits appeared with intakes up to about 7 servings a day.

Limitations

• Observational studies: whole-grain eaters tend to have healthier lifestyles overall.
• Definitions of ‘whole grain’ varied between studies.
• Diet was self-reported.

References

1. Aune D, Keum N, Giovannucci E, et al. Whole grain consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and all cause and cause specific mortality: systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies. BMJ. 2016;353:i2716. doi.org/10.1136/bmj.i2716