Whole grains lower blood triglycerides

March 29, 2006 in Heart Health, Nutrition Topics in the News

Whole grains lower blood triglycerides

According to a study conducted by the US Agricultural Research Service wholegrains, but not refined grains, can lower blood triglyceride levels, a leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
The small intervention study involved 10 women between the ages of 20 and 45. Researchers assigned the participants either a diet with whole grains, or one with refined grains. After 5 days, blood samples were taken and measured for triglycerides.
Participants who consumed the diet with refined grains had significantly higher levels of triglycerides than those participants eating the wholegrain diet.
This latest study supports recent study findings from researchers at the University of Maryland that found elderly people who ate more than 3 servings of wholegrains everyday were half as likely to develop metabolic syndrome than those who ate less than half a serving a day.

One serving of whole grain is equivalent to one-half cup of cooked oatmeal, one-half cup of cooked brown rice, one slice of 100% whole grain bread, or one-half cup of cooked whole-wheat pasta.

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