RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—People who eat eggs and high-fat dairy products are more likely to experience heart failure than their whole wheat-eating counterparts, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

THE DETAILS: Researchers collected diet data from about 14,100 middle-aged men and women people in the 1980s and then again in the 1990s. During that 13-year follow-up there were 1,140 hospitalizations for heart problems. An daily extra serving of whole grains decreased the risk of heart failure by 7%, while each additional high-fat dairy product eaten daily increased the risk by 8%. Eating additional eggs pushed the risk up by nearly 25%.

WHAT IT MEANS: Heart failure affects about 5 million people in the U.S. Although the risk reduction of eating more whole wheat was modest, it’s probably a good idea to start replacing some of those bleached-bread PB&J sandwiches with the brown kind—especially if you’re at a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. Eating whole wheat will help you add more beneficial fiber to your diet, too.

Follow these leads to add more whole grains to your diet:

• Find heart-healthy recipes. For recipes that are high in whole grains and other fiber sources, as well as heart-healthy meals, search the Rodale Recipe Finder.

• Outsmart the labels. Don’t be fooled by “multigrain,” “wheat,” or similarly grainy descriptions on food packages. You’re looking for 100% whole wheat, plain and simple.

• Replace all-white with whole wheat. Use whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour when you bake; replace regular pasta with whole wheat varieties.