Reply to E Vos

Division of Preventive Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 900 Commonwealth Avenue East, Boston, MA 02215-1204, E-mail: simin.liu{at}channing.harvard.edu

Dear Sir:

We appreciate Vos' comments on our article and completely agree that the development of a database for betaine—and for choline—is a high priority. Other constituents of whole grains, such as magnesium, may also be important for maintaining cardiovascular health (1) and warrant further careful examination. Additionally, focusing on individual components of whole grains may not be adequate to elucidate their role in disease prevention; we also need to consider interactions among these components as well as the physical properties of and the nature of the starches in these foods (2).

REFERENCES

1. Ford ES. Serum magnesium and ischaemic heart disease: findings from a national sample of US adults. Int J Epidemiol 1999;28:645–51.
2. Jenkins DJ, Wolever TM, Taylor RH, et al. Glycemic index of foods: a physiological basis for carbohydrate exchange. Am J Clin Nutr 1981;34:362–6.