Whole grains

Whole grains are an important part of a healthy diet, and researchers wanted to take a closer look at the relationship between eating whole grains and cardiometabolic health. In this study, researchers reviewed a collection of 25 systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials (the “gold standard” in nutrition research) that addressed the relationship between whole grain consumption and metabolic health. Across the dataset, it was clear that “[whole grain] consumption plays a crucial role in improving key aspects of metabolic health,” especially in diabetes management, cholesterol management, blood pressure management, obesity and inflammation.
Food Funct. 2025 Oct 29. doi: 10.1039/d5fo03240g. Online ahead of print. (Huang H et al.)

The best whole grain guidance is meaningless if consumers can’t find these products at the store. In this online experiment of 2,013 Australian adults, those seeing products with color-coded whole grain labeling were significantly more likely to identify the products highest in whole grains and express interest in purchasing them, compared with adults who were shown images of whole grain products that contained no special whole grain labeling. This research adds to the existing body of evidence that whole grain labels can be an effective public health tool.
Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2025 Oct 9:104406. doi: 10.1016/j.numecd.2025.104406. Online ahead of print. (Sengupta A et al.)

Fad diets that replace high-quality carbohydrates like whole grains with meat pose a risk for aging down the road. In a study of 47,513 women, those eating the most high-quality carbohydrates (such as whole grains) at midlife were 31 percent more likely to age healthfully (free of chronic disease, cognitive impairments or poor mental health) 30 years later than those eating the fewest high-quality carbohydrates. Replacing just 5 percent of calories from refined carbohydrates, animal protein or total fat with high quality carbohydrates like whole grains was linked with an 8-16 percent higher likelihood of healthful aging. The study also found benefits related to higher-carbohydrate diets and higher fiber intake, as well as increased risks with refined carbohydrate intake.
JAMA Netw Open. 2025 May 1;8(5):e2511056. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.11056. (Korat AVA et al.)

When it comes to reducing your risk of type 2 diabetes, a diet with healthy carbohydrates should be a key part of your nutrition playbook. In this review, researchers analyzed 67 studies related to food groups and risk of type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes mortality. A high intake of whole grains was linked with a significantly lower risk of type 2 diabetes, with similar (though no quite as strong) tendencies for fruit and vegetable intake. A high intake of red meat, processed meat, and/or sugar sweetened beverages were all linked with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes. For other food groups, the risk of type 2 diabetes wasn’t statistically significant in either direction.
J Nutr. 2025 Mar 21:S0022-3166(25)00173-7. doi: 10.1016/j.tjnut.2025.03.021. (Banjarnahor RL et al.)

Just because someone says they don’t like whole grains, doesn’t mean we should write off their interest immediately. In fact, changing the food environment by simply exposing these people to whole grains is enough to change their attitudes, a new study shows. In this study, researchers provided 45 healthy adults with either refined grain or whole grain products to take home for six weeks. Researchers measured how much of the provided grain foods were eaten, and they measured if people associated different types of grains with either an unpleasant or pleasant taste before and after the study using an implicit association computer test with measured response times. The whole grain group consumed just as much of their provided grains as the refined grains group, and individuals who considered whole grains as unpleasant tasting before the study were significantly more likely to change their tune and consider whole grains to be pleasant tasting after being provided with the whole grain foods.
Front Nutr. 2024 Sep 30:11:1408256. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1408256. eCollection 2024. (De Leon A et al.)

Poor diet can be a risk factor for certain types of liver diseases, so researchers conducted a meta-analysis of studies to see how whole grain intake might relate to liver disease risk. Those eating the most whole grains had a 10% lower risk of developing any chronic liver disease than those eating the least. The results were especially pronounced for a certain subgroup of serious liver diseases. Eating whole grains was linked with a 35% lower risk of developing cirrhosis (a potentially fatal form of liver damage) and a 63% lower risk of chronic liver disease mortality.
Food Funct. 2024 Sep 30;15(19):9707-9717. doi: 10.1039/d4fo03077j. (Zhang Y et al.)

Early-onset (diagnosed before age 50) colorectal cancer risk is thought to be influenced by diet and lifestyle factors, so researchers wanted to find out which foods might be involved with colorectal cancer risk. Using data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019, scientists found that a diet low in whole grains is one of the leading dietary risk factors for early onset colorectal cancer, ahead of diets high in red and processed meat and even diets low in fiber. 
Frontiers in Nutrition. 2024 May 31:11:1384352. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1384352. eCollection 2024. (Su J et al.)

Whole grains have long been linked with longevity and are a central part of the diet of many of the world’s longest-lived people. New research, however, suggests that whole grains don’t just add years to life – they may also add life to years, by being linked with a longer healthspan, or the length of time that a person is healthy, not just alive. In this study of more than 48,000 Danish adults, men who ate the most whole grains in midlife lived roughly one year longer without disease compared with men who ate the least whole grains. The authors concluded that “intake of whole grains in mid-life was associated with healthy aging looking 20 years ahead.”
Eur J Nutr. 2024 Mar 7. doi: 10.1007/s00394-024-03357-3. Online ahead of print. (Eriksen AK et al.)

Good nutrition can help support brain health and healthy aging, and it’s increasingly clear that whole grains are an important part of the equation. In a study of 3,326 older adults (average age 75), those eating three or more servings of whole grains per day had a slower rate of decline in global cognition, perceptual speed, and episodic memory compared to those who ate fewer than one serving per day. These results were statistically significant for the group as a whole and for African American participants (who made up 60% of the study population), but did not quite reach statistical significance for white participants (who made up a smaller proportion of the study population).
Neurology. 2023 Nov 22:10.1212/WNL.0000000000207938. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000207938. (Liu X et al.)

Carbohydrate foods from different sources have different impacts on the body, meaning that it is important to choose quality carbohydrates like whole grains. In this study, researchers analyzed the eating patterns and weight changes of 136,432 adults for more than 2 decades. Eating more whole grains, fruit, and non starchy vegetables was linked with a lower risk of weight gain, while eating more refined grains and starchy vegetables (peas, corn, potatoes) was linked with a higher risk of weight gain.
BMJ. 2023 Sep 27:382:e073939. doi: 10.1136/bmj-2022-073939. (Wan Y et al.)