This is another reason why I love my oatmeal.

A Reuters report published today said, “In a study of obese adults at risk of heart disease, researchers found that those who trimmed calories and increased their whole-grain intake shed more belly fat and lowered their blood levels of C- reactive protein or CRP.

CRP is a marker of chronic, low-level inflammation in the blood vessels, and both abdominal fat and CRP, in excess, are linked to heart attack and stroke.”

Because I have a history of heart disease in my family — my father died of a heart attack under the age of 50, which automatically increases my risk to 50%, I’ve really become very conscious and careful of what I eat or drink over the last few years.

The report says, “This is the first clinical study to prove that a diet rich in whole grains can lead to weight loss and reduce the risk of several chronic diseases,” Dr. Penny Kris-Etherton, the senior researcher on the study, said in a statement.

She and her colleagues at Pennsylvania State University report the findings in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

In general, experts recommend eating whole grains — such as oatmeal, brown rice and barley — rather than refined grains, like white bread and other products made from white flour. Whole-grain foods retain more of the nutrients and fiber components of the grain.

Adjunct to this story is an Associated Press Report about how the risk of strokes in women triple at middle age. The reasons — “Women’s waistlines are nearly two inches bigger than they were a decade earlier, and that bulge corresponds with the increase in strokes, researchers said.

In addition, women’s average body mass index, a commonly used measure of obesity, rose from 27 in the earlier survey to 29. They also had higher blood sugar levels.

No other traditional risk factors like smoking, heart disease or diabetes changed enough between the two surveys to account for the increase in strokes.”

Of course one will argue that these are U.S. standards and hardly relevant in Asia, however, this is information that is good to know, especially at midlife when the warranties run out and we need to take better care of ourselves.

Again, the AP story points a finger on the dreaded “bilbil” or belly fat — Dr. Amytis Towfighi, a neurology specialist at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, presented her paper at the International Stroke Conference in New Orlean. She stressed that belly fat stood out. Surveying 5,000 middle-aged people, the results revealed that “The portion of women with abdominal obesity rose from 47 percent in the earlier survey to 59 percent in the recent one. The change in men was smaller, and previous studies have shown that “abdominal obesity is a stronger risk factor for women than men,” she said.

Men traditionally have had a greater risk of stroke than women, and “women start catching up to men five or 10 years after menopause,” said Dr. Philip Gorelick, neurology chief at the University of Illinois in Chicago and chairman of the stroke conference.

The new research means “we need to redefine our textbooks about stroke in women,” because they may now be more at risk in middle age than men.

That’s more than enough reason for me to load up on oatmeal and brown rice starting now. This also goes without saying that one needs to up the exercise to at least thirty minutes three times a week and try to maintain happy and peaceful thoughts as much as possible. Negativity will always be part and parcel of life, it’s the manner by which we choose to deal with these thoughts that make the big difference. In fact, some studies have shown that the ability by which you handle stress often impacts your good cholesterol. The American Psychological Association suggests that individuals who are hostile and stressed may have lower HDL levels (good cholesterol)than those who have better coping skills.
In other words, nakakabilbil din ang kunsumisyon. Pass me the brown rice and a dose of happy thoughts please…