Question

Whole grain products reduce the risk of coronary heart disease

Answer 1

Coronary heart disease is a group of cardiac diseases which affect the coronary artery. Coronary artery refers to that artery which supplies blood to the muscles of heart and a very critical for the wellbeing of heart.

In coronary heart disease, there is narrowing of these arteries (atherosclerosis) because of accumulation of plaque inside them because of which space for blood is less. The plaque is usually composed of cholesterol but can be of other cell metabolites like fat, calcium and even the blood cells like platelets or other cells involved in inflammatory response.

These deposits may be result of high cholesterol in diet or it can be due to some injury to the arterial inner wall. If the cause is the injury, the platelets start accumulating and prevent blood flow. The deposits may cause the thickening of the walls of artery (arteriosclerosis). In either case, there is blockage in normal blood flow to heart muscles and can result in heart attack and finally heart failure.

The treatment as well as the prevention includes the diet which is less in cholesterol (LDL), trans fats and rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Whole grains are those which retain germ (inner layer) and bran (outer layer) along with the endosperm (actual seed or middle layer) while the refined ones loose germ and bran during refining process. The germ and bran are rich in fiber and these two make whole grain to be rich in fiber. The presence of fiber in diet results in lot of benefits which include preventing conversion of LDL and saturated fats to cholesterol. Also it decreases the available glucose from grain and increases the response of body to insulin. Along with that whole grains adds to roughage which makes the person feel fuller and prevents excessive food consumption. The presence of essential amino acids further promotes health. Along with that these grains are rich in antioxidants resulting in overall healthy diet. The lowering of LDL by these grains prevents the cholesterol accumulation and plaque formation, hence decreasing the chances of coronary heart disease.

To conclude, whole wheat grains and their products lower the risk of coronary heart disease.