Daily whole-grain intake linked to slimmer waist and lower heart risk

A comprehensive review of 87 clinical trials involving over 6,500 people from Asia, Europe, North America and Brazil concluded that daily whole-grain intake improves several heart-related metrics. Eating the equivalent of two large slices of whole-grain bread (about 48 g) each day was linked to an average loss of 0.2 kg of body fat and a 0.22 cm reduction in waist size, as well as modest declines in total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides.

When participants increased consumption to 60-100 g per day—roughly four slices of bread—the reductions in systolic blood pressure and harmful blood fats were three times greater. The findings, reported by Dr Helda Tutunchi and colleagues and published in the European Heart Journal, underscore whole grains as an affordable dietary strategy, though the research did not track actual heart attacks or strokes. Further long-term studies are required to confirm whether these risk-factor improvements translate into fewer cardiovascular events.