The study of more than 4,300 adults found that those reporting the highest
intake of whole grains were 35 percent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes
than those with the lowest intake.
Much of this reduced risk seemed to stem from the whole-grain eaters' intake
of fiber-rich cereals, researchers found.
Participants with the highest cereal-fiber intake were 61 percent less likely
to develop type 2 diabetes during the 10-year study than were those with the
lowest intake.
The findings, reported in the March issue of the American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition, are based on an analysis of dietary and lifestyle habits of men and
women ages 40 to 69. During the 10-year follow-up, 156 developed type 2
diabetes.
"We found a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes in persons with high whole-grain
intake. This reduced risk was apparently due to cereal fiber intake," Jukka
Montonen and colleagues at the National Public Health Institute in Helsinki
report.
Type 2 diabetes, the most common form of diabetes, is often linked to
obesity. Once seen almost exclusively in older adults, type 2 is on the rise
among US adults and children, as is obesity.
Cutting overall calories, exercising and maintaining a healthy weight can
prevent type 2 diabetes, but the effects of specific dietary components has been
unclear, according to Montonen's team.
Type 2 diabetes arises when the body loses its sensitivity to insulin, a
hormone that shuttles sugar from the blood and into cells to be used for energy.
People with the disorder see their blood sugar levels soar, which over time can
lead to complications such as heart and kidney disease and nerve damage.
It's thought that fiber might help combat type 2 diabetes in a couple of
ways. Compared with simple carbohydrates like white bread, fiber-rich carbs are
slowly digested and absorbed, leading to less insulin demand. And insoluble
fiber speeds through the intestines, leaving less time for carbohydrates to be
absorbed, the Finnish researchers explain.
However, they also point out that whole-grain foods contain a host of
components other than fiber that might contribute to the lower diabetes risk
they found.
