Researchers are now advocating that in order to lower the risk of heart failure we need to eat whole-grain breakfast cereal seven or more times each week.

The scientists Brigham & Women ™s Hospital and Harvard Medical School are referring to breakfast cereals that contain at least 25 percent oat or bran.

In the Physicians' Health study the majority of the doctors involved ate whole-grain cereals rather than refined cereals which are rich in vitamins, minerals, and anti-oxidants and have a high fiber content.

Of 10,469 doctors, 8,266 (79 percent) ate whole-grain cereals compared to 2,203 (21 percent) who ate refined cereals, and the researchers found that those who ate a whole-grain breakfast cereal seven or more times per week were less likely (by 28 percent) to develop heart failure over the course of the study than those who never ate such cereal.

The risk of heart failure decreased by 22 percent in those who ate a whole-grain breakfast cereal from two to six times per week and by 14 percent in those who ate a whole-grain breakfast cereal up to once per week.

According to the researchers, if this data is confirmed by other studies, a healthy diet including whole-grain breakfast cereals along with other measures may help reduce the risk of heart failure.

Luc Djouss?©, M.D., M.P.H., D.Sc., the lead author of the study who is assistant professor of medicine, says the significant health benefits of whole-grain cereal apply to adults as well as children.

Djouss?© says a whole-grain, high-fiber breakfast may lower blood pressure and bad cholesterol and prevent heart attacks and urges the general public to consider eating a regular whole-grain, high fiber breakfast for its overall health benefits.

The findings were based on yearly questionnaires concerning major heart events from 1982 to 2006; the average age of physicians in the study was 53.7 years.

Dr. Djouss?© presented the findings of the study at the American Heart Association's 47th Annual Conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention in Orlando, Florida.

Despite being essential for life, not a lot is known about the metabolism of copper generally, let alone during pregnancy.

"Not many people know that without copper the human body cannot survive," Dr Ackland explained. "Copper is particularly necessary for brain and skin development. And while it is essential for life, too much can be deadly. For the most part people get enough copper in their diet so we do not believe that severe copper deficiency is a problem in the general population. However in pregnancy, when the needs of the mother change and there are the demands of the foetus, this is a critical time to understand copper metabolism."

"The foetus can face a range of problems without enough copper such as aneurysms, connective tissue disorders and mental retardation."

While her study does not provide all the answers, Ms Hardman said it was an important step in better understanding copper metabolism and opened up opportunities for further research.

"My research does not go all the way to explaining the impact of copper metabolism in certain diseases. However, it is important because we need to understand the normal state before we can look further at the implications in copper-related diseases," she said.

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