Bread has had a complicated few years. Carbs have been celebrated, banished, swapped for cauliflower, and welcomed back to the table more times than we can count.

Now, whole grains have some good news. A new analysis found that more whole grains were linked to small improvements in several markers of heart and metabolic health.

Researchers Looked at 87 Different Trials

For the study, published in the European Heart Journal, researchers pulled together results from 87 randomized trials involving more than 6,500 people. They looked at whether eating more whole grains made a difference in things like:

• Blood pressure

• Cholesterol

• Blood sugar

• Body weight

• Waist circumference

• Inflammation

Overall, whole grains came out looking pretty good.

The Improvements Were Small, But Widespread

Eating more whole grains was associated with improvements in several of those measurements. Researchers found improvements across several measures of metabolic and cardiovascular health, including:

• Lower LDL cholesterol

• Lower total cholesterol

• Lower triglycerides

• Lower fasting blood sugar

• Lower body weight

• Smaller waist circumference

• Lower systolic blood pressure

That doesn't mean a bowl of oatmeal is going to dramatically change our blood pressure by lunchtime.

Most of the individual changes were modest, and the strength of the evidence varied, depending on what researchers were measuring. But, when one relatively simple dietary habit nudges several things in a positive direction, it's worth paying attention.

The American College of Cardiology noted that the largest effects generally appeared when people were eating around 60 to 100 grams of whole grains per day by dry weight.

Whole Grains Are More Than Brown Bread

Fortunately, eating more whole grains doesn't mean we have to commit ourselves to a lifetime of sad sandwiches.

Whole grains include plenty of familiar foods, such as:

• Oats

• Brown rice

• Barley

• Whole wheat

• Rye

• Quinoa

• Popcorn

The important distinction is that whole grains retain the bran, germ, and endosperm of the grain. Refined grains have had parts removed during processing, which also strips away some of the fiber and nutrients.

So, a morning bowl of oatmeal counts. So does swapping white rice for brown sometimes, or choosing whole-grain bread when we're making toast. And, yes, popcorn gets to stay.

We Don't Need to Eat Six Bowls of Oatmeal

The researchers aren't handing us a whole-grain prescription. Although the biggest improvements for many outcomes appeared at around 60 to 100 grams per day, there was less evidence available at higher amounts. 

The researchers say more long-term studies are needed before they can pin down an ideal intake. The trials themselves were also relatively short, overall, and the results varied, depending on the type of grain, the people involved, and what researchers were measuring.

Give the Grains a Little More Room

Nutrition advice can get complicated quickly. Yet, this study gives us something refreshingly ordinary to work with. We don't need an exotic ingredient, an expensive powder, or something we're supposed to stir into water while holding our nose.

Whole grains are already sitting in the cereal aisle. If oatmeal sounds good for breakfast, have the oatmeal. From time to time, make the sandwich on whole-grain bread, instead of white. Give brown rice a turn with dinner. And, the next time somebody suggests popcorn for movie night, we now have one more reason to pass the bowl.

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