Whole Grains Said to Reduce Diabetes Risk
Thu Aug 22, 8:19 AM ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Men who eat whole-grain bread, brown rice and other whole grains daily have a much lower risk of diabetes than men who do not, nutrition experts reported on Thursday.
A trial of more than 42,000 men showed that those who ate the most servings a day of whole grains had a 42 percent lower risk of developing type-II diabetes than men who ate the least.
"Efforts should be made to replace refined-grain with whole-grain foods," Teresa Fung of Simmons College in Boston and colleagues at Harvard University wrote in their report, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition ( news - web sites).
The researchers analyzed data from an ongoing study of male health professionals who were followed for 12 years on average.
The men who ate the lowest amount of whole grains ate less than half a serving a day. The men who ate the most averaged more than three servings a day.
"Those with higher whole-grain intakes tended to be leaner and more physically active, to consume less fat and to be less likely to smoke or have a history of hypertension (high blood pressure)," the researchers said.
"In contrast, those with higher refined-grain intakes tended to exercise less and have lower intake of fiber."
Between 1986 and 1998, 1,197 of the men developed type-II diabetes -- by far the most common kind of diabetes. It affects an estimated 15 million Americans and, unlike type-I diabetes, is related to lifestyle and eating habits.
Those who ate the most whole grains were the least likely to develop diabetes -- and this held true even when the researchers accounted for known diabetes risk factors such as obesity.
The researchers did not find that eating refined grains -- such as white bread -- increased the risk of diabetes. Saturated fat intake also did not have a substantial effect, they said.
Men who were lean and who ate whole grains had the lowest risk of all -- they were 87 percent less likely to develop diabetes.
The researchers said several mechanisms could be at work. The bran and wheat germ in unrefined grains can cause the stomach to empty more slowly, which in turn slows the release of sugar into the blood.
This could help the body better handle sugar. Many experts believe type-II diabetes is caused when the body becomes overwhelmed by sugar and perhaps fat.
Whole grains also contain more magnesium than processed grains and studies suggest this can improve metabolism of sugar, the researchers said.
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Whole Grains Said to Reduce Diabetes Risk
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