Whole-grain foods may lower diabetes risk

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Whole-grain foods may lower diabetes risk

Last Updated: 2004-02-13 11:46:49 -0400 (Reuters Health)

By Merritt McKinney

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who consume plenty of whole-grain

foods, particularly fiber-rich cereals, may be less likely to develop

health conditions that put them at increased risk of diabetes, new

research suggests.

" Individuals who incorporate whole-grain foods into their diets may

prevent or reduce their risk of developing the metabolic syndrome, a

clustering of risk factors that often precedes type 2 diabetes and

cardiovascular disease, " Dr. Nicola M. McKeown of the Mayer U.S.

Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at

Tufts University in Boston told Reuters Health.

" In our study, the health benefits of whole grain foods were observed

among people who consumed three or more servings of whole grains per

day, " McKeown said. People who ate this much whole grain had better

insulin sensitivity and were less likely to have the metabolic syndrome,

she said.

But the Boston researcher noted that the average American consumes less

than one serving of whole-grain foods per day.

Type 2 diabetes, the most common form of the disease, occurs when the

action of insulin in regulating blood sugar levels becomes blunted.

Type 2 diabetes is on the rise in the U.S., and an estimated 24 percent

of adults have the so-called metabolic syndrome, which increases the

risk for diabetes and heart disease. Signs of metabolic syndrome include

abdominal obesity, high levels of blood fats called triglycerides, low

levels of " good " HDL cholesterol, high blood pressure and high blood

sugar.

Low-carbohydrate diets are all the rage these days, and there is some

evidence that a low-carb diet may improve insulin sensitivity in obese

people. Overweight and obese people often develop insulin resistance, a

precursor to full-fledged type 2 diabetes.

But not all carbohydrates are created equal. Some research suggests that

people who consume lots of whole-grain foods and fiber have more healthy

insulin levels.

Now, McKeown and her colleagues report that people who eat large amounts

of whole-grain foods may be less likely to develop conditions that

increase the risk of diabetes.

In a study of more than 2,800 adults, higher consumption of whole-grain

foods, particularly cereals, was associated with a lower risk of insulin

resistance. The study also found that people who ate more fiber from

cereals were less likely to develop the metabolic syndrome.

The findings, which come from data obtained in the ongoing Framingham

study, are reported in the journal Diabetes Care.

" Adding whole grain food to our diet does not require dramatic changes

in our eating patterns, and there could be substantial health benefits, "

McKeown said. For instance, people can increase their consumption of

whole grains by switching from white bread to whole-grain bread and by

choosing brown rice instead of white rice, she said.

" But identifying whole grain products is not always that simple, "

McKeown cautioned. She said consumers may be deceived by breads labeled

" nine-grain, " " rye bread " or " made with whole grain. " Breads with these

labels are in fact primarily made with refined wheat flour, not whole

grains, she said.

" Consumers need to carefully examine the food labels in order to

identify whole grain products, " McKeown said. Whole grain products

should list a whole grain ingredient, such as " whole wheat, " " whole

rye, " " whole-oats " or " graham flour, " as the first ingredient on the

label, she said.

SOURCE: Diabetes Care, February 2004.

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