176
videos
Grains
Consistent with recommendations from leading cancer and heart disease authorities, my recommended Daily Dozen includes at least three servings of whole grains a day. Harvard University’s preeminent twin nutrition studies—the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study—have so far accumulated nearly three million person-years of data. A 2015 analysis found that people who eat more whole grains tend to live significantly longer lives independent of other measured dietary and lifestyle factors.
A diet rich in whole grains, for example, may yield the same benefits as taking high blood pressure medications without the adverse side effects commonly associated with antihypertensive drugs, such as electrolyte disturbances in those taking diuretics; increased breast cancer risk for those taking calcium-channel blockers; lethargy and impotence for those on beta blockers; sudden, potentially life-threatening swelling for those taking ACE inhibitors; and an increased risk of serious fall injuries for apparently any class of these blood pressure drugs.
Indeed, eating whole grains appears to reduce the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and stroke. Eating more whole grains could potentially save the lives of more than a million people around the world every year. Take note of the whole, however. While whole grains, such as oats, whole wheat, and brown rice, have been shown to reduce our risk of developing chronic disease, refined grains may actually increase risk.
People who ate the most whole grains had significantly slower narrowing of two of the most important arteries in our body: the coronary arteries that feed the heart and the carotid arteries that feed our brain. Since atherosclerotic plaque in the arteries is our leading killer, we should not just slow down the process but actually stop or even reverse it altogether, and eating more whole grains, whole vegetables, whole fruits, whole beans, and other whole plant foods can help with that.
Image Credit: Melissa Askew / Unsplash. This image has been modified.
Popular Videos for Grains
Getting Starch to Take the Path of Most Resistance
How might beans, berries, and intact (not just whole) grains reduce colon cancer risk?
Gut Microbiome – Strike It Rich with Whole Grains
What can we eat to increase good gut bacteria richness in our colon?
Microbiome: We Are What They Eat
What happens to our gut flora when we switch from a more animal-based diet to...
How to Cook Rice to Lower Arsenic Levels
Boiling rice like pasta reduces arsenic levels, but how much nutrition is lost?
How Risky Is the Arsenic in Rice?
Getting rice down to the so-called safe water limit for arsenic would still allow for...
Do the Pros of Brown Rice Outweigh the Cons of Arsenic?
Are there unique benefits to brown rice that would justify keeping it in our diet...
Dr. Greger’s Daily Dozen Checklist
In my book How Not to Die, I center my recommendations around a Daily Dozen...All Videos for Grains
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Recipe: Veggie Mac & Cheese
A cruciferous spin on macaroni and cheese, this recipe takes comfort food to a whole new level, and is a tasty way to check off a few servings on the Daily Dozen checklist. This recipe comes from Kristina, our Social Media Director.
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Best Foods for Colon Cancer Prevention
A low-fiber diet is a key driver of microbiome depletion, the disappearance of diversity in our good gut flora.
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The Best Diet for Diabetes
The case for using a plant-based diet to reduce the burden of diabetes has never been stronger.
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Best Foods for Halitosis & Gingivitis
The best and worst foods for bad breath and gum inflammation.
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How to Treat Periodontitis with Diet
Plant-based diets are put to the test in the treatment of periodontal disease.
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Recipe: Morning Grain Bowls
Here’s a delicious way to start the day! Morning Grain Bowls from the How Not to Die Cookbook.
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Is Fiber an Effective Anti-Inflammatory?
Most Americans get less than half the recommended minimum fiber intake a day and the benefits of fiber go way beyond bowel regularity.
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The Gladiator Diet: How Vegetarian Athletes Stack Up
Comparing the diets of the Roman gladiator “barley men” and army troopers to the modern Spartans of today.
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Is Cheese Healthy? Compared to What?
Dairy is compared to other foods for cardiovascular (heart attack and stroke) risk.
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Benefits of a Macrobiotic Diet for Diabetes
What happens when you add massive amounts of carbs to the daily diet of type 2 diabetics in the form of whole grains?
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Pros & Cons of a Macrobiotic Diet
What happens when you put diabetics on a diet composed of largely whole grains, vegetables, and beans?
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Best Food for Periodontal Disease & Gingivitis
What would happen if you stopped brushing your teeth but ate healthier?
