How Whole Grains Help Regulate Blood Pressure, Blood Sugar, and Cholesterol

Udumbara Udumbara
Jun 24, 2025 - 09:57 Updated: Jun 23, 2025 - 14:36
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How Whole Grains Help Regulate Blood Pressure, Blood Sugar, and Cholesterol

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As people age, many face a range of health challenges, such as a slowing metabolism, increasing weight, high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar, high cholesterol, graying hair, and poor sleep. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) considers grains like barley, oats, and light wheat natural and effective for supporting digestion and promoting kidney and brain health.

1. Barley

A common concern for many middle-aged people is graying hair. According to “Classified Materia Medica” from Historical Classics for Emergency, barley promotes hair darkening and, when consumed regularly, can delay graying.

For those looking to nourish their hair and prevent graying, drinking barley tea—a traditional East Asian beverage made by roasting barley grains and steeping them in hot water—regularly is a natural, side-effect-free option that is safer and healthier than using hair dye.

Additionally, barley tea is an excellent remedy, as it supports digestion and boosts metabolism—which gradually decreases after the age of 50, leading to issues such as bloating and stubborn abdominal fat from consuming rich or greasy food. According to the classic Chinese medical text “The Complete Compendium of [Zhang] Jingyue,” barley excels at harmonizing the stomach, dispelling cold, and clearing accumulations from grains, fruits, and other foods in the stomach and intestines. Moreover, barley tea is gentle on the stomach, making it suitable for people with gastroesophageal reflux, as it does not stimulate gastric acid secretion.

Barley contains gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and tryptophan, which offer multiple benefits:
GABA, a neurotransmitter, helps alleviate anxiety and stress, improve sleep quality, and relieve pain.

Tryptophan, an amino acid involved in melatonin production, may help improve sleep onset. While barley contains some tryptophan, the tea is especially beneficial as a caffeine-free beverage that will not disrupt sleep.

For older adults with high blood lipids or edema, moderate barley tea consumption can offer daily health support.

2. Oats

Middle-aged and older adults are often troubled by high blood pressure, high blood lipids, and high blood sugar. Oats are rich in beta-glucan, which effectively lowers cholesterol and slows blood sugar spikes.
A 2014 meta-analysis found that oat products can reduce “bad” cholesterol—or total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol—in patients with dyslipidemia while not affecting triglycerides or “good” cholesterol, or high-density lipoprotein cholesterol.
It is recommended to use oats as a staple food substitute—oatmeal with soy milk or fresh milk for breakfast, or oat rice or oat noodles for lunch and dinner. This approach increases satiety, lowers cholesterol, and helps stabilize blood sugar.

Choosing Oatmeal

Oats commonly sold on the market are divided into “instant oats” and “traditional oats.” Instant oats are convenient and quick, but are highly processed and have a higher glycemic index—especially products with added sugar, maltodextrin, or oat milk—which diabetic patients should avoid.
Traditional oats require cooking but retain more nutrients, making them more suitable for controlling blood sugar.

Who Should Avoid Oats

Patients with chronic kidney failure or those undergoing dialysis are typically encouraged to avoid oats due to their high phosphorus content, which may increase the burden on the kidneys.
People taking lipid-lowering medications are advised to avoid consuming high-fiber oats at the same time. Allowing a 2 to 4-hour gap may help prevent interference with the medication’s absorption.

3. Light Wheat

In TCM, wheat is revered as the “grain of the heart” for its ability to nourish heart “qi“ (vital energy) and promote emotional calm.

Light wheat, also known as floating wheat, refers to the shriveled, lightweight wheat grains that float on water due to their delicate nature. After storage and natural transformation, these grains become milder and less drying, enhancing their heart-nourishing and spirit-calming properties.

Harvested around the summer solstice, light wheat is carefully selected from immature, unhulled grains left after the mature wheat is collected. These grains are sifted to remove impurities, washed, and sun-dried to prepare them for use in TCM treatments.

‘Gan Mai Da Zao Decoction’

The great physician Sun Simiao’s “Essential Prescriptions of the Golden Cabinet” records the Gan Mai Da Zao Decoction, composed of three medicinal ingredients: light wheat, licorice root and rhizome, and Chinese date. It is specifically used to treat emotional fluctuations, insomnia, anxiety, and other conditions now referred to as autonomic nervous system disorders or mild depression.

This decoction was not only widely used in ancient times but is also frequently observed to have significant clinical efficacy. I once prescribed this formula for a woman in her 90s, and after taking it, her emotions stabilized and her sleep improved, much to the delight of her family.

An animal study published in 2024 also found that Gan Mai Da Zao Decoction can alleviate age-related skeletal muscle atrophy in mice and improve mitochondrial function.
Ingredients:
  • 20 grams licorice root and rhizome
  • 40 grams light wheat
  • 15 Chinese dates
Instructions for making Gan Mai Da Zao Decoction:

In a pot, combine the licorice root and rhizome, light wheat, and 15 Chinese dates with 67 ounces of water. Simmer over low heat for 30 minutes, then serve warm.

The herbs are available at health food stores or Asian grocery stores. However, as individual constitutions vary, consult a professional physician for a personalized treatment plan.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Epoch Health welcomes professional discussion and friendly debate. To submit an opinion piece, please follow these guidelines and submit through our form here.
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