BOSTON—Higher intakes of cereal fiber, particularly from whole-grain sources, are associated with lower total percent body fat and percent trunk fat mass in older adults, according to a new study in the Journal of Nutrition.
The study examined associations among grain intake (whole and refined), dietary fiber and fiber sources, and body fat among older adults. Researchers followed 434 adults between ages 60 and 80. Overall study participants consumed relatively low amounts of whole-grain foods, averaging 1.5 servings a day, and dietary fiber, averaging 18.6 grams a day. Â Bread and cold breakfast cereals were the main sources of whole grains; women were more likely than men to consume whole grains.
Participants who consumed the highest amounts of whole grains had about 2.4 percent less total body fat and 3.6 percent less abdominal fat than those who ate the least. This difference was found to be related to fiber in cereal, but not in fruits or vegetables. When only cereal fiber was taken into account, those who consumed the most had 3.2 percent less body fat and 5 percent less abdominal fat than those who ate the least amount of cereal fiber.