The heart benefits of whole grains such as oats and brown rice have long been known but a recent study found they can reduce the risk of other diseases too.

Chronic inflammation in body tissue is thought to contribute to illnesses including arthritis, heart disease and diabetes. In a 15 year study scientists from the University of Minnesota, USA monitored 42,000 menopausal women and found those who ate 11 or more servings of whole grains a week were one third less likely to die from an inflammatory disease. Scientists think the protective antioxidants in whole grains could account for the link, so load up on grains such as brown rice, oats, and rye.

Q: I had a heart attack a few years ago. Should I be taking a supplement of omega 3 fish oils?

A: Numerous studies have shown that omega 3 fatty acids help to protect against heart disease and the National Institute of Clinical Excellence has just recommended that if you’ve had a heart attack you should eat at least 7g of omega 3s per week (that’s two portions of oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines and fresh tuna.

Doctors have also been advised to prescribe 1g of omega 3 daily for anyone who can’t do this, starting from three months after a heart attack, for up to three years.

I suggest that you eat a diet with plenty of whole grains, fresh fruit and vegetables oily fish, nuts, seeds and pulses as these foods are linked to lower heart disease risk. And add in a supplement like Omega 3 Plus to get the correct amount of essential fatty acids in your diet. Reduce the amount of saturated fats in your diet by avoid meat and eating dairy foods in moderation. Avoid trans fats completely as just an increased consumption of trans fats by only 2% increases the risk of heart disease by a massive 30%.

More dramatic evidence has emerged to show that banning smoking in public places reduces the risk of heart attacks. In Scotland hospital admissions dropped by 17 percent since smoking was banned in public places in Scotland.

The figures compare with an annual reduction of only three percent for the 10 years before the ban was introduced, the Scottish Government said on its website. Research led by Glasgow University showed there were 3,235 people admitted to hospital with heart attacks in the 10 months before the ban took effect, a government spokeswoman said. But in the 10 months after the ban was brought in, there were 2,684 admissions for people with heart attacks, she added.

The research focused on heart attack admissions to nine hospitals, which accounted for nearly two-thirds of all Scottish hospital heart attack admissions. The research was presented in Edinburgh where Scotland’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer Peter Donnelly said it showed the smoking ban was already producing “significant” public health benefits. “It provides evidence that the legislation is improving the health of everyone in Scotland – including smokers, non-smokers, children and bar workers,” Donnelly told an audience of international health experts.

Scotland was the first country in the United Kingdom to introduce a smoking ban. Wales, Northern Ireland and England followed this year. If the pattern in Scotland was repeated in the UK there would be almost 40,000 fewer heart attacks each year.