“Eating three portions of wholegrain foods such as porridge every day protects your heart by slashing blood pressure levels,” reported the Daily Express. It said this could be as effective as taking medication.

The study behind this story demonstrates that wholegrain foods give a slight reduction in blood pressure in middle-aged individuals without cardiovascular disease. The study did not assess the effect of porridge itself on health, but compared a diet containing both wholewheat food and oats with a diet high in wholegrain wheat and a diet high in refined grains.

This was a well-conducted randomised controlled trial. Overall, the results support health advice that a diet containing recommended amounts of wholegrains can have a positive effect on blood pressure, which is an important marker of cardiovascular health. This positive effect on blood pressure can be expected to translate into benefits in terms of risk of coronary artery disease and strokes, although this study did not measure such health outcomes.