Whole grains

What it does

Beta-glucan fiber binds cholesterol, slows glucose and feeds gut microbes.

• Fewer deaths from heart disease & cancer
• Steadier glucose

Where the number comes from

Whole grains sits in the wholegrain group of the Fadnes model, the only peer-reviewed model that converts eating into years of life. The lifetime gain for that group is spread across the days you actually eat it — a daily serving from age 20 to 80 — which gives +52 min per serving. The authors rate the evidence behind this group as high.

What it is made of

• Beta-glucan
• Bran fibre
• Magnesium

Which kind

• Oats — beta-glucan leader
• Brown rice — the bran is the whole point
• Millet — drought-hardy, low glycaemic
• White rice — bran removed — the benefit goes with it

How to eat it

Swap one white grain a day for a whole one.

Source: Aune et al. · BMJ, 2016 (meta-analysis).

Minutes derived from Fadnes LT, Økland J-M, Haaland ØA, Johansson KA. Estimating impact of food choices on life expectancy: A modeling study. PLOS Medicine 19(2):e1003889, 2022. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1003889