The consumption of refined grains and added sugars have increased globally over the past few decades. A recent prospective cohort study revealed that an increased intake of refined grains was associated with the higher risk of mortality and major cardiovascular disease events. Analyses were based on 137,130 participants after exclusion of those with baseline cardiovascular disease. The study discovered that the highest category of intake of refined grains (≥350 g/day or about 7 servings/day) was associated with higher risk of total mortality (HR 1.27, 95% CI 1.11 to 1.46; P_trend=0.004) and major cardiovascular disease events (HR 1.33, 95% CI 1.16 to 1.52; P_trend<0.001). Hence, lower consumption of refined grains should be considered.

Keywords: refined grains, cardiovascular disease events, mortality

Reference

Swaminathan S, et al. BMJ 2021;372:m4948.