Whole grains help you live longer

Eating whole grains can help you live longer, according to a new analysis from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health that included results from 12 published studies and health information from more than 786,000 participants. While the whole grain movement has been afoot for years, this is the first analysis of this type linking whole grains to mortality risk, said Qi Sun, assistant professor in the school’s department of nutrition and senior author of the study.

People who ate 70 grams of whole grains per day, compared with those who ate little or no whole grains, had lower risk of premature death, according to the Harvard analysis. Whole grains also lowered the risk for cancer and cardiovascular disease, the study found.

But Sun also cautioned that a healthy life requires more than just whole grains.

“Whole grains should be considered part of a healthy diet and lifestyle,” Sun said Monday. “They should not be considered a magic food, or a magic bullet, for increasing longevity.”

Particularly in processed foods, refined grains — milled grains stripped of their bran and germ — have been used to extend shelf life. Food companies often fortify those grains by adding lost nutrients back in, hence the term “enriched grains.”

But unrefined whole grains are better sources of fiber and other important nutrients, such as magnesium, potassium and selenium, according to the Mayo Clinic website. In recent years, major food companies have scrambled to meet increased demand for food considered to be healthier, often through acquisitions, but sometimes through changing existing products or launching new ones.

“It’s a good thing if food companies are making more products with whole grains. ... I think they’re probably responding to increased demand,” Sun said. The Harvard study supports current U.S. dietary guidelines that recommend at least three daily servings — or 48 grams — of whole grains to “improve long-term health and prevent premature death,” Sun said.