Eating Bran Lowers Risk of Cardiovascular Death in Diabetics

Eating plenty of bran-containing whole-grain foods may help diabetics to reduce their risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. Lu Qi, M.D., Ph.D., and colleagues studied data from 7,822 women diagnosed with type 2 diabetes that were enrolled in the Nurses' Health Study (NHS). The researchers used data obtained from food frequency questionnaires to calculate consumption of whole grain and its sub-components of bran and germ, as well as cereal fiber, in grams per day. After adjusting for age, results showed that women who ate the most bran had a 55% risk reduction for death from all causes and a 64% risk reduction of cardiovascular disease compared to those who ate no added bran. The authors concluded: "Whole-grain and bran intakes were associated with reduced all-cause and cardiovascular-specific mortality in women with diabetes mellitus. These findings suggest a potential benefit of whole-grain intake in reducing mortality and cardiovascular risk in diabetic patients."