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By 2030, approximately one in five Americans (70 million people)
will be 65 years or older. Besides being the fastest-growing segment
of the population, seniors suffer from the most cases of cardiovascular
disease (CVD), including stroke, heart disease and heart attack.
Preventive health measures have been thought to have a lesser effect
on this population than on younger individuals. Thanks to a recent
study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, that view
may change, however.
Researchers compared risk for cardiovascular disease with fiber
intake from cereals (including whole-grain breads and wheat bran),
fruit and vegetable sources in seniors. More than 3,500 men and
women 65 years or older were surveyed for dietary fiber consumption,
then followed for about a decade to record the development of cases
of CVD.
Eating more cereal fiber was associated with a significantly reduced
risk of cardiovascular disease, with those eating the most cereal
fiber 21% less likely to develop the condition than those eating
the least. Dark breads, including whole wheat, rye and pumpernickel,
reduced CVD risk the most. Fiber intake from fruits and vegetables
did not appear to similarly reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease.
 The
authors of this study mention that eating just two additional slices
of whole-grain bread daily would have been enough to raise individuals
from the lowest to the highest cereal-fiber group. Since nutritional
changes are less expensive and less dangerous than medical or surgical
solutions down the road, heed this information and be sure to eat
plenty of whole grains. Obtaining enough cereal fiber is easy: Simply
replace refined-grain breads with whole-grain ones and eat whole-grain
cereals instead of sugary cereals, muffins or doughnuts.
Reference: Mozaffarian D, Kumanyika SK, et al. Cereal, fruit
and vegetable fiber intake and the risk of cardiovascular disease
in elderly individuals. Journal of the American Medical Association
2003:289(13), pp. 1659-1666.
To learn more about nutrition, visit www.chiroweb.com/find/archives/nutrition.
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