You may already know that whole grains are good for your heart. That message has been a staple of nutrition advice for decades. What’s been less clear is exactly how much you need to eat to see the benefits—and whether more is always better.

A new European study helps answer those questions. Published in the European Heart Journal, the analysis suggests that eating around four to six servings of whole grains a day may be the sweet spot for improving several markers of heart health. That’s slightly more than the average of three daily servings recommended under current U.S. dietary guidelines.12

So should you aim to add more brown rice and whole-grain bread to your plate? We’ve got you covered.

Four to Six Servings of Whole Grains Linked With Better Heart Health

The researchers pooled data from 87 randomized controlled trials, considered the strongest type of study for evaluating cause and effect. Rather than simply asking whether whole grains help, they looked at how the amount people ate related to the size of the benefit, a detail research has often skipped.

Across the trials, higher whole grain intake was linked to improvements in a range of cardiovascular risk factors. These included LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, total cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, fasting blood sugar, markers of inflammation, and measures like body weight and waist circumference.3

The standout finding was the dose. For most outcomes, including total cholesterol and systolic blood pressure, the greatest improvements were associated with roughly 60 to 100 grams of whole grains per day by dry weight, which equates to about 115 to 190 grams when measured as prepared food, or about four to six servings. (A serving is roughly a slice of whole-grain bread, a half-cup of cooked oatmeal or brown rice, or a small bowl of whole-grain cereal.)

That range is slightly higher than the amount recommended by the 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which suggests two to four servings of whole grains per day, depending on individual calorie needs.

Whole grains have long been recommended as part of a healthy diet because, unlike refined grains, they retain every part of their natural seed kernel, which is rich in fiber and other nutrients, according to Stephen Fenton, MD, FACS, a cardiologist and author of The 5CH Lifestyle, a book about how to lower your cholesterol. Fiber alone can slow digestion, improve blood sugar control, and help lower LDL cholesterol, all of which can benefit cardiometabolic health.

Limitations to Keep in Mind

Before prioritizing four to six servings of whole grains every day, it’s important to understand that the study comes with some caveats.

For one, researchers measured changes in risk factors, not whether people actually avoided heart attacks, strokes, or death. Improvements in cholesterol or blood pressure are meaningful, but they’re still a step removed from proving that whole grains directly prevent disease.

Some of the improvements were also modest, and the strength of the evidence wasn’t uniform. The researchers rated their confidence as high for some outcomes, such as total cholesterol and body weight, but lower for others.

Additionally, most of the included trials were relatively short, with an average duration of about eight weeks, Helda Tutunchi, PhD, an associate professor of nutritional sciences at Tabriz University of Medical Sciences in Iran, wrote in a press release. “As a result, we cannot determine whether these benefits are maintained over the long term,” she said.3

And relatively few studies evaluated very high whole-grain intakes, above 140 grams per day, so the effects at those intake levels remain uncertain, Tutunchi added.

Should You Aim for Four to Six Servings of Whole Grains?

The study’s findings shouldn’t necessarily be treated as a recommendation to start eating four to six servings of whole grains every day, according to Jamie Lee McIntyre, MS, RDN, a Florida-based registered dietitian.

“This study suggests that about four to six servings of whole grains per day may offer the strongest heart-health benefits, but that doesn’t mean people need to hit that number overnight if that is not currently in their dietary practices,” she told HEALTH.

“For most people,” McIntyre added, “the best approach is to start where you are, make more grain choices whole grain when possible, and build toward that range over time in a way that feels realistic and sustainable.”

If you already have heart disease, high cholesterol, or another cardiometabolic condition, whole grains can be one supportive part of your eating plan, but they aren’t a replacement for prescribed medication or your doctor’s guidance.

Talk with your care team before making major dietary shifts, especially if you take medications that affect blood sugar or blood pressure, since changes in diet can affect your treatment.