http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland...nds/7819845.stm

Diabetics sought for oats trial



Researchers are trying to better understand how eating porridge, oatcakes and muesli could help people with type 2 diabetes.

Sixty volunteers are being sought to eat an oat-rich diet in trials funded by £200,000 from the Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Government.

Scientists based in Inverness and Aberdeen believe the cereal can help control the side effects of type 2.

These side effects can lead to killer illnesses including heart disease.

The project is a partnership involving the prospective University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI), the University of Aberdeen and the Rowett Institute, which conducts nutrition research in Aberdeen.

Testing will be held over 16 weeks in a purpose-built unit at the Centre for Health Science in Inverness.

Led by Professor Sandra MacRury, clinical professor at the UHI Department of Diabetes and Cardiovascular Science in Inverness, the project will look at the immediate effects of an oat-rich diet.

Volunteers will eat a variety of test meals containing oats and results will be compared with a standard diet.

The longer-term impact will also be assessed in the trials.

Professor MacRury said: "The aim is to develop new dietary plans which could improve diabetes control, delay the need for people with type 2 diabetes to start tablets or insulin to control their blood sugar, and potentially reduce the risk of some of the complications of diabetes."

Aberdeen-based research fellow Dr Susan McGeoch will also be working on the project, and has identified products and recipes which have a high oat content.

People who took part in a pilot trial ate specially-baked oat bread, oatcakes, porridge, muesli and cereal bars, and used oats in stews.

Dr McGeoch said: "It is known that people with type 2 diabetes have a higher rise in their blood sugar levels following a meal than someone without diabetes.

"This rise in the blood glucose seems to be associated with a rise in the levels of inflammation in the body and it is thought that this rise in inflammation can lead to an increased risk in some of the complications of diabetes such as heart attacks and strokes."

She added: "We know that different foods produce different changes in the blood glucose following a meal and we aim to find out whether an oat-rich diet can lead to better levels of blood glucose following a meal, and whether this is linked to improvement in the levels of inflammation."

OATS FACT FILE
Oats are a low GI (glycaemic index) food product.
The carbohydrates they contain are broken down more slowly and glucose is released gradually into the bloodstream.
The new research is exploring indications that oats also have an anti-inflammatory effect, and this could be significant for the 75% of diabetes sufferers who are likely to die from cardiovascular problems.
They are prone to internal inflammation of the blood vessels which can lead to serious problems with their circulation and heart.
Source: UHI

Doesn't it seem unethical, feeding carbs to diabetics? They might get some results that show a slight improvement over the standard diet (whatever that is), but it's not going to be a magic cure.

In My Humble *diabetic* Opinion

yeah ... it would be for me and they would have a real hard time getting me to eat the stuff.
It might be ok for some people and if so more power to them .. go with what works for YOU ... however this is the kind of study that with 200k pounds will get a few dozen people together and generate just enough data for the Scottish Oats Council to come up with results they want.

Are they finally admitting that the high levels of sugar and insulin are inflammatory and cardiovascular disease has nothing to do with cholesterol?

surely a better aim for the test would be

Feeding carbohydrate to persons who already suffer the toxic effects of carbohydrate poisoning is unethical. Unless we believe carbohydrate is food.

Ahhh.....'slow' acting grains....death by a dull knife instead of a sharp one.

This reminds me of advertisements years ago by some cigarette company that they had additive-free or all natural or something tobacco. Yep. Much healthier than the original stuff. Probably giving high-carbing diabetics oats to replace even worse carbs they already eat will cause improvement of some sort, but not nearly as much as not eating either. I wouldn't dream of eating oatmeal as it would aggravate my diabetes which without those carbs is under control.

Excellent point! Just another example of the carb bias in the scientific testing sphere!

How much you wanna bet that since the results wont be what they want, we never hear about this study again?

for me, I had to stop eating my morning oatmeal. it sent my bs off the meter.

Oatmeal jacks up my blood sugar, so I don't eat it. The glycemic is next to useless. Sure, it's good to eat low GI foods, but the carb grams are what matters.

Since the dietary guidelines say we must eat grains, they are making a vain attempt to find grains suitable for diabetics. They may get better results as compared to other grains, but won't get good glucose control.

Results = data

Data + computers = data mining

Data Mining + Desired Outcome = Report that says what they want it to say.

Or as well said in Don Henley's song "Garden Of Allah"
(excerpt)

Today I made an appearance downtown
I am an expert witness because I say I am
And I said gentlemen, and I use that world loosely
I will testify for you, Im a gun for hire, I'm a saint, I'm a liar
Because there are no facts, there is no truth
Just data to be manipulated
I can get you any result you like
Whats it worth to you?