Research has shown for years that highly processed carbohydrates have deleterious effects on health. People who eat more refined flour and sugar appear to be vulnerable to depression. In addition, easily digested carbs can raise blood sugar and increase triglycerides, an independent risk factor for heart disease.
Are Whole Grains Helpful?
But whole grains have a healthful reputation, although they are also carbohydrates. A study from Denmark involving almost 55,000 middle aged people confirms the benefits of eating whole grains, particularly oats and rye.
The Value of Oats and Rye:
The subjects were followed for almost 14 years. Both men and women benefited if they often ate whole grains, lowering their heart attack risk by about 25 percent. Men who ate the most rye and oats, but not wheat, were least likely to experience heart attacks. Rye bread and oatmeal were protective, but whole grain bread, crispbread and wheat made no significant difference.
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, online, Feb., 17, 2016
If you would like to know a bit more about how to cook whole grains (especially steel cut oats) so they are delicious as well as nutritious, you may be interested in our book, Recipes & Remedies From The People’s Pharmacy. It contains our favorite cholesterol-lowering oatmeal recipe that keeps us going from breakfast to lunchtime without flagging energy.
