A new meta-analysis in the European Heart Journal has pooled 87 randomised controlled trials, involving 6,529 people, to look at how eating more wholegrain foods relates to markers of cardiometabolic health. The paper was published online on 15 September 2026, and the European Society of Cardiology issued a press release on 16 September. It was led by Dr Helda Tutunchi of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences in Iran. According to the release, higher wholegrain intake was associated with reductions in body weight, waist circumference and blood pressure. It was also linked to lower total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, blood glucose, insulin resistance and interleukin-6, a marker of inflammation. Intakes of 60 to 100 grams a day, dry weight and roughly four to six servings, were the range most clearly linked to improvements. These are findings about blood markers and body measurements, not about whether anyone develops a disease. The trials came from Asia, Europe, the United States, Canada, Australia and Brazil.
What the evidence does and does not show
The researchers graded the certainty of the evidence. They rated it high for body weight, waist circumference, total cholesterol and interleukin-6, and moderate for LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, systolic blood pressure, fasting glucose and insulin resistance. The main limitation, according to the ESC release, is duration: most trials were short, averaging about eight weeks, so the analysis cannot say whether any changes last. Relatively few trials tested very high intakes above 140 grams a day. Neither the release nor the parts of the paper we could access set out a funding statement, so we cannot say who paid for the work. Pooled trial data of this kind show associations between intake and markers over weeks; they do not show what happens to health outcomes over years.
What this means for your supplement routine
This story is about food rather than supplements, and the review does not test any supplement. The paper is not UK research, so its direct UK relevance is limited to how it sits alongside existing guidance. The NHS says adults should aim for 30g of fibre a day and that the average adult intake is about 20g. It lists wholemeal or granary bread, wholewheat pasta, brown rice and oats among wholegrain options. The review does not change that guidance, and it does not tell any individual what to eat. Anyone with questions about their own diet should speak to their GP or a registered dietitian.
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This article reports published news and research and is for information only. Food supplements are not a substitute for a varied diet or medical care, and no product mentioned is intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Speak to your GP or pharmacist before changing what you take, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or taking prescribed medicines.