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| December 2009 |  |
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ne out of five 40-year-olds will, at some point in his or her lifetime,
be diagnosed with heart failure, which is now the leading cause
of hospitalization among older Americans. But research suggests
that you can significantly improve your odds if you eat a diet rich
in whole grains.According to the Physicians’ Health Study, which tracked 21,000 men for 20 years, those who ate a whole-grain breakfast cereal daily had a 28 percent lower risk of heart failure, compared with those who ate  a
whole-grain cereal less than once a week.This finding is consistent with earlier studies that found a lower risk of heart attacks and high blood pressure among whole-grain eaters. It’s not entirely clear why, but it seems the potassium, antioxidants, phytoestrogens, fiber and other constituents of whole grains have heart-protecting qualities. Researchers have suggested that there may be something else about whole-grain eaters that keeps their hearts stronger—though in the design of their study, they accounted for factors such as age, smoking, alcohol, vegetables, multivitamins and exercise. 
—Adapted from the Nutrition Action Healthletter
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