Eating more whole grains like brown rice and oats instead of white bread and sugary cereals might help lower your risk of getting type 2 diabetes or heart disease.

Eating more whole grains like brown rice and whole wheat bread might help lower your chances of getting heart disease or diabetes, but eating white bread and sugary cereals doesn’t seem to offer the same protection—so what kind of grains you eat might matter for your long-term health.

For people with diabetes, not eating enough whole grains like brown rice, oats, and whole wheat explains about one-third of why eating unhealthy plant foods raises their risk of heart disease.

People who eat more whole grains like oats and brown rice instead of white bread and sugary cereals tend to have a lower chance of getting heart disease, according to studies that watch what people eat over time.

Eating more whole grains like brown rice and oats instead of white bread and pastries might help keep your cholesterol and blood sugar in a healthy range, which could be why people who eat whole grains tend to get fewer long-term illnesses.

People who eat more whole grains like oats and brown rice, and fewer white breads and sugary snacks, tend to have less heart disease — and this pattern has been seen in many different groups of people.