What we have known has now been proved clinically, that refined grains are bad for your heart health. In fact, a study of 2,099 Iranian individuals has shown that consumption of refined grains – milled or ground flour to improve shelf life – is associated with an increased risk of premature coronary artery disease. This means a cholesterol build-up on artery walls, resulting in them narrowing before the age of 55 years in men and 65 years in women. The consumption of whole grains, on the other hand, was linked to lower risk of premature heart disease.
“Eating refined grains is akin to consuming sugars and oils. This is because the removal of bran and fibres increases the glycemic index of the grains. There should be an effort to reduce the amount of simple carbohydrates from the diet, especially when carbohydrates make up a very high proportion of our diet,” said Dr Rakesh Yadav, professor of cardiology at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi.
The participants of the Iranian study were men and women who underwent a coronary angiography that checks the blood flow in the vessels. Nearly, half of them were found to have normal arteries while the others had at least 75 per cent blockage in one coronary artery or 50 per cent in the left main coronary artery. They were then given a food frequency questionnaire to understand their dietary pattern.
“As more studies demonstrate increase in refined grains consumption globally, as well as the impact on overall health, it is important that we find ways to encourage and educate people on the benefits of whole grain consumption,” said Khajavi Gaskarei, the lead author of the study from Isfahan University of Medical Sciences-Iran, according to a release.
So, how can you change your diet to reduce the amount of refined grains? “Moving to flour with bran, consuming millets like jowar and bajra and increasing the intake of fruits and vegetables will help in improving the diet,” said Dr Yadav.
“The atta available in packets do not contain the bran; it is sold separately. Getting flour processed at local mills is better. Including jowar and bajra in the diet will also help,” he added. Increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables means that a lot of the carbohydrates will come from them rather than polished grains. “But there is no need to buy expensive fruits and vegetables, whatever is seasonal and local should be consumed,” Dr Yadav said.
He also recommended that we need to try and reduce the total amount of carbohydrates in the diet. “We aim to bring down the carbohydrates consumed to about 50 to 55 per cent of the diet; we cannot ask people to go beyond that because what will you have instead? Proteins? Proteins are expensive – say, a person consumes 2,000 calories, 30 per cent protein intake would mean they have to get 600 calories from proteins. With four calories coming from each gram of protein, they would have to consume 150 g of proteins a day! One egg contains just 6 grams.”
Dr Yadav feels that 15 to 20 per cent of the diet should be made of unsaturated fats, most of which will come from oils used in foods. He suggests using mustard oil or sunflower oil instead of Dalda or ghee.
