From The December 2000 Issue of Nutrition Science News

Whole Grains Cut Ischemic Stroke Risk

Eating whole grains protects against ischemic stroke, with better results for nonsmokers, according to a study by researchers at Harvard Medical School, Boston. As part of the Nurses' Health Study, 75,521 women between the ages of 38 and 63 at the start of the project filled out detailed food-frequency records in 1984, 1986, 1990 and 1994. The women were divided into five groups according to how much whole grain they consumed during this period. The women in the top quintile consumed 2.7 servings of whole grains daily while those in the bottom quintile ate virtually none.

Eating more fiber protected against ischemic stroke, with the high-fiber eaters reducing their risk by 43 percent compared to the bottom quintile. Nonsmokers in the top quintile cut their stroke risk in half. Fiber's protection was independent of all other stroke risk factors. Adjusting for the known components of whole grains — fiber, folate, magnesium, potassium and vitamin E — explained only about half of the protective power of whole grains. Thus, these nutrients either act synergistically or additional protective factors exist in whole grains.

In this study, the average whole-grain consumption just exceeded one serving a day, a third of the total number of servings of grain eaten. In the United States, the average person eats only half a serving daily. No correlation was seen between consumption of refined grains and stroke.

The researchers conclude that "replacing refined grains by even one serving a day may have significant benefits in reducing the risk of ischemic stroke." In the United States, 600,000 strokes a year cause 160,000 deaths. Almost 4.5 million Americans suffer permanent disability from strokes. If all Americans ate the recommended three servings of whole grains daily, the potential benefits in stroke reduction could be substantial.

—Journal of the American Medical Association 2000 Sept 27 ;284(12):1534-40.