Study: Eating More Whole Grains Could Help You Live Longer

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ORLANDO (CBSMiami) – When it comes to eating whole grains, a new international study says the more you eat the healthier you'll be.

A group of shoppers in London are loading up on their whole grains.

"I prefer the taste, I prefer the texture and I think it's probably better for me," one of them said.

Whole grains, found in everything from bread and cereal to brown rice, have long been considered superior to processed grains.

But little was known about how much you need to eat to cut your risk of disease.

Dr. Daggfinn Aune at Imperial College London led a team of researchers who analyzed 45 studies on whole grains.

"What we see is that the more you eat the lower the risk," Aune said.

The study found eating just two servings a day, or about two slices of whole grain bread, can improve your health.

They found eating three servings of whole grains a day can significantly reduce the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease and the risk of dying from any chronic disease.

Researchers said the bigger the serving the bigger the benefit – even Dr. Aune has changed his habits.

"I try to eat as much as possible," Aune said.

They found people who ate up to seven and a half servings of whole grains a day cut their risk of disease even more.

This study is the largest of its kind and comes just days after a Harvard University study that found eating three daily servings of whole grains cuts your risk of dying by about 20 percent.