One More For The Whole

[Guest guest]

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 83, No. 1, 124-131, January 2006

© 2006 American Society for Clinical Nutrition

________________________________

ORIGINAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATION

Whole-grain intake is inversely associated with the metabolic syndrome and

mortality in older adults1,2,3

Nadine R Sahyoun, F Jacques, Xinli L Zhang, Wenyen and Nicola M

McKeown

1 From the Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of land,

College Park, MD (NRS and XLZ); the Mayer US Department of Agriculture

Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston, MA (PFJ and

NMM); and the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, US Department of

Agriculture, Arlington, VA (WJ)

Background: Whole-grain intake has been inversely associated with the metabolic

syndrome in middle-aged populations, but the association has not been

investigated in older adults. The metabolic consequence of consuming high

whole-grain diets may differ in elderly persons, who are prone to greater

insulin resistance and impaired glucose tolerance.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to examine the cross-sectional

association between whole- and refined-grain intake, cardiovascular disease risk

factors, prevalence of the metabolic syndrome, and the incidence of

cardiovascular disease mortality in the same cohort of older adults.

Design: The nutritional status of 535 healthy persons aged 60-98 y was

determined from 1981 to 1984. The subjects kept a 3-d food record and had their

blood tested for metabolic risk factors. The metabolic syndrome was defined

based on criteria set by the third report of the National Cholesterol Education

Program. The vital status of the subjects was identified in October 1995.

Results: The results showed a significant inverse trend between whole-grain

intake and the metabolic syndrome (P for trend = 0.005) and mortality from

cardiovascular disease (P for trend = 0.04), independent of demographic,

lifestyle, and dietary factors. Fasting glucose concentrations and body mass

index decreased across increasing quartile categories of whole-grain intake (P

for trend = 0.01 and 0.03, respectively), independent of confounders, whereas

intake of refined grain was positively associated with higher fasting glucose

concentrations (P for trend = 0.04) and a higher prevalence of the metabolic

syndrome (P for trend = 0.01).

Conclusion: Whole-grain intake is a modifiable dietary risk factor, and older

and young adults should be encouraged to increase their daily intake to ?3

servings/d.