Older adults who regularly eat whole grains like high-fiber cereals and cooked oatmeal may be less likely to develop a cluster of conditions that raise the risk of heart attack and stroke, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that among 535 adults between 60 and 98 years old, those who ate more whole-grain foods were less likely to develop a group of risk factors known as metabolic syndrome or to die of cardiovascular disease over the next 12 to 15 years.

The findings, say the study authors, suggest that young and old alike should follow experts’ advice to bump up their whole-grain intake to at least three servings a day.

Metabolic syndrome refers to a cluster of conditions, including high blood pressure, High cholesterol and high blood sugar levels, and abdominal obesity, which raise a person’s risk of heart disease, stroke and kidney damage.

Some research has suggested that middle-age adults can lower their risk of metabolic syndrome by favoring whole grains such as bran, oats and brown rice over highly processed grain products like white bread.

But until now, no studies had looked specifically at an elderly population, Dr. Nadine R. Sahyoun, the lead author of the new study, told Reuters Health.

Yet, any effects of diet on metabolic risk factors may be even more evident in older adults, because with aging comes a greater susceptibility to abnormal blood sugar control, according to Sahyoun, an assistant professor of nutrition and food science at the University of Maryland in College Park.

She and her colleagues report their findings in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

All of the study subjects underwent a physical exam, completed a 3-day food diary to track their eating habits, and provided information on other lifestyle habits such as exercise, smoking and drinking.

Overall, the researchers found that men and women with the highest whole-grain intake - typically three servings a day - were less than half as likely to have metabolic syndrome as their peers who consumed less than one serving of whole grains per day.

Similarly, whole-grain eaters were about half as likely to die from cardiovascular disease over the next 12 to 15 years.

Men and women who ate more whole grains also tended to have lower blood sugar levels and to weigh less than those who favored refined grains.

Even when factors such as weight, overall diet and exercise habits were considered, whole-grain intake was still independently associated with a reduced risk of metabolic syndrome and death from cardiovascular disease.

Sahyoun and her colleagues point to a number of potential reasons for these whole-grain benefits, including improved sensitivity to the blood-sugar-regulating hormone insulin, healthier cholesterol levels and better blood vessel function.

Getting more whole grains in the diet can be a confusing task, Sahyoun acknowledged, since people may assume label phrasing such as “wheat bread” and “stone-ground” is synonymous with whole grain.

Consumers, she said, should look specifically for the words “whole grain” on cereals, breads and other grain products. Because the Food and Drug Administration allows products rich in whole grains to make certain health claims, many manufacturers tout their products’ whole-grain content prominently.

According to Sahyoun, replacing refined grains with whole ones - whole-grain bread rather than white, brown or wild rice instead of white - is the way to fit in the recommended three servings of whole grains without tacking on calories.

SOURCE: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, January 2006.