According to the results of a new study, eating whole grains on a regular basis is as good for you as had been previously suggested, and can also help with weight control. The study placed the spotlight on the benefits we receive when we make these foods a part of our daily diet.

Eating Whole Grains is Good for Physical and Mental Health

The research was published in the Journal of Nutrition by a nutrition epidemiology research team from Tufts and Harvard Universities. The research involved an analysis of the eating habits of 3,100 people. At the start of the study, the participants were in their fifties, and the researchers followed them for 18 years, checking in once per four years to collect participant medical data.

What the researchers found was that the participants who were eating whole grains at least three times per day across the 18 years of the study, had “a lower average increase in waist size (a half-inch compared to one inch) and a greater decline in triglyceride levels during each four-year period.” That, compared to the participants who consumed under half a serving of these foods per day.

Additional Benefits of This Type of Food

Those who were eating whole grains the most also experienced lower overall blood sugar levels and lower systolic blood pressure, which Harvard University researchers refer to as more of an indicator of stroke and heart disease risk than diastolic blood pressure.

According to the researchers, the reason eating whole grains has this impact on the body is that the soluble fiber it contains has a beneficial impact on blood sugar spikes following a meal.

Why Does Eating Whole Grains Promote Weight Control?

In terms of the benefits of these foods on managing weight, the researchers point to the “satiating effect” that can make people less inclined to overeat.

The benefits these foods have on systolic blood pressure were explained by the researchers as having been the result of consuming the minerals and antioxidants these foods contain.  Minerals found to be particularly helpful were potassium and magnesium.

If you’re not sure whether you’re eating whole grains enough to gain the benefits this study suggests that they offer, speak with your doctor or an expert in nutrition such as a nutritionist or dietitian. They will help you to better understand where these foods fit into your life and how much you should be eating of them.