Healthy Heart Beats

January-March 2008
Vol 30, Issue 1

Nutrition and Research Updates

Effects of Whole Grains on Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors

The rate of Americans with metabolic syndrome is on the rise and is linked with a greater risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania sought to discover whether including whole-grain foods in a hypocaloric (low calorie) diet enhances weight loss and improves CVD risk factors for people with metabolic syndrome. A group of 47 obese adults (23 women and 24 men) with metabolic syndrome underwent randomized grouping in which they received dietary advice either to avoid whole-grain foods or to obtain all of their grain servings each day from whole-grain foods for 12 weeks.

whole grains The study found that body weight decreased significantly in both the whole-grain and refined-grain groups over the 12 weeks. Waist circumference and percent body fat decreased significantly in both groups as well. However, the decrease in percent body fat in the abdominal region was significantly greater in the whole-grain group than in the refined-grain group. C-reactive protein (CRP), an important independent predictor of CVD events, decreased in the whole-grain group, but no significant change was seen in CRP in the refined-grain group. There were no significant changes in the other measured inflammatory markers. The cause of reduction seen in CRP is unclear. Participants in both diet groups significantly improved their diet quality by reducing their intakes of saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, and added sugar. Future studies examining larger cohorts for longer periods are needed to determine the long-term health benefits of whole-grains.

You also can read more about omega-3 fatty acids and CRP in the January-February 2005 issue of Healthy Heart Beats, http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/healthyheart/0501-02c.html.

Source: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2008, 87(1): 79-90 (January).

Whole Grains May Lower Risk for Chronic Disease

This cross-sectional study which included participants in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging, concluded that higher intakes of whole grains and cereals were independently inversely associated with body mass index (BMI), weight, waist circumference, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and 2-hour fasting glucose. Dietary intakes were determined with 7-day dietary records. The results of this study suggest that higher intakes of whole grains and cereal fiber may lower risk factors associated with chronic disease. The authors do suggest that longitudinal studies are needed to reproduce these findings.

Source: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2007, 86(6): 1745-1753 (December).

FDA Proposes Limiting Omega-3 Claims for Products without Suitable Nutrient Level

nutrition label omega-3 The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has prepared a new docket entitled 'Food Labeling: Nutrient Content Claims; Alpha-Linolenic Acid, Eicosapentaenoic Acid and Docosahexaenoic Acid Omega-3 Fatty Acids', which would prohibit the nutrient content claims for DHA, EPA and ALA, based on three notifications submitted to the agency, because they are not based on an authoritative statement that identifies a nutrient level to which the claims refer. The FDA proposes to issue this rule finding that certain nutrient content claims for foods, including conventional foods and dietary supplements, that contain omega-3 fatty acids, do not meet the requirements of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and may not appear in food labeling.

Source: http://snipurl.com/1uaxr.

Dietary Intake and the Development of the Metabolic Syndrome

A study using prospective data from 9,514 participants provided data which allowed the authors to conclude that adults of middle-age (ages 45-64 at baseline) whose regular diet consists of fast food may be increasing their risk of metabolic syndrome by 25% compared to those who limit red meat to two servings a week. But eating healthy doesn't reduce the odds of developing metabolic syndrome, said Lyn M. Steffen, Ph.D., M.P.H., R.D., of the University of Minnesota. Analysis of individual food groups showed that meat, fried foods, and diet soda were adversely affiliated with development of metabolic syndrome. Dairy consumption, especially yogurt and low-fat milk, was shown to be beneficial while intakes of whole grains, refined grains, fruits and vegetables, nuts, coffee and sweetened beverages showed no association.

Regular soda, which the study's authors said was expected to increase risk of metabolic syndrome, was not associated with increased risk. However, they did conclude that the diet soda association was not hypothesized and deserves further study. Dr. Steffen, one of the researchers, said the soda findings might reflect poorer glycemic control, which has been reported in other studies of diet sodas. Moreover, she said a study in rats suggested that the consumption of artificial sweeteners "impairs the body's ability to predict the caloric content of foods, and may lead to increased intake and body weight."

An unexpected finding was that consuming a prudent diet (i.e. one that had a high concentration of fruits, vegetables, whole grains) and low-fat dairy products did not reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome. "We had expected to see a benefit because we have seen a beneficial relationship in other studies," she said.

The researchers noted that their study was limited by its use of a questionnaire to calculate food intake, which may have allowed for reporting bias as well as misclassification of some foods. For example, the questionnaire was "not designed to differentiate whole grain from refined grain items in the food list," they wrote.

Source: http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/CIRCULATIONAHA.107.716159v1.

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Updated Monday, August 29, 2011

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