Tier 2 — strong

A whole-grain cereal-rich diet increases plasma betaine, and tends to decrease total and LDL-cholesterol compared with a refined-grain diet in healthy subjects

Alastair B Ross, Stephen J Bruce, Anny Blondel-Lubrano, Sylviane Oguey-Araymon, Maurice Beaumont, Alexandre Bourgeois, Corine Nielsen-Moennoz, Mario Vigo, Laurent-Bernard Fay, Sunil Kochhar, Rodrigo Bibiloni, Anne-Cécile Pittet, Shahram Emady-Azar, Dominik Grathwohl, Serge Rezzi
The British journal of nutrition 2011 105(10):1492-1502

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 21272402
DOI
10.1017/S0007114510005209
Funding
Funding was not specified in the indexed record or accessible funding metadata.
Competing interests
A competing-interest declaration was not available in the indexed record or accessible disclosure metadata.

Study snapshot

DesignCrossover food intervention
ModelHuman participants
Sample17 healthy adults
InterventionWhole-grain foods 150 g/day versus refined-grain foods
Duration2 weeks per diet; at least 5-week washout
EndpointsBetaine status; Lipids; Bowel measures

What the study showed, in plain terms

Published in 2011, this source examined food sources, absorption and nutrient metabolism. Design: Crossover food intervention. Sample/model: 17 healthy adults. The exposure or intervention was Whole-grain foods 150 g/day versus refined-grain foods. Follow-up or treatment period: 2 weeks per diet; at least 5-week washout.

Whole grains increased blood betaine. Total and LDL cholesterol showed nonsignificant trends, and homocysteine did not change.

Small exploratory study; trends at P=0.09 are not confirmed lipid-lowering effects.

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Key findings

  • Whole grains increased blood betaine.
  • Total and LDL cholesterol showed nonsignificant trends, and homocysteine did not change.
  • The recorded outcome domains were Betaine status; Lipids; Bowel measures.
  • The result applies to the tested exposure: Whole-grain foods 150 g/day versus refined-grain foods; 2 weeks per diet; at least 5-week washout.

What this study can and cannot tell us

  • Small exploratory study; trends at P=0.09 are not confirmed lipid-lowering effects.
  • An individual controlled trial must be interpreted alongside its comparator, sample size, endpoint selection and independent replication. It does not validate a different commercial formulation or a general longevity claim.
  • Source basis: Indexed abstract and bibliographic data. Missing method details, funding information or participant denominators are not inferred.

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Editorial review

Reviewed by the Biohack Blueprint research team

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Dr. Khaled Mahmoud, MBBChCritical Care Medicine, Longevity Science & Editorial Direction Dr. Amr Yasser, PhDCardiometabolic, Musculoskeletal, Gut & Bioavailability Dr. Abdulla Mostafa, PhDCellular Senescence, Neurological, Mitochondrial & Brain-Ageing Biology