Johns Hopkins Health Alert
Diabetes Health Tip To Help You Lower Your Risk of Metabolic Syndrome
Diabetes Health Tip #1: Fiber-Rich Grains May Cut Diabetes RiskEating whole-grain foods may lower the risk of metabolic problems that set the stage for diabetes and heart disease, a report from The Framingham Offspring Study reveals. Among more than 2,800 people who completed diet surveys, those who ate the most fiber-rich cereals and other whole grains were about one third less likely than those with the lowest intakes to have metabolic syndrome -- a cluster of abnormalities, including abdominal obesity, increased blood glucose levels, high blood pressure, low levels of HDL cholesterol and elevated triglyceride levels. Metabolic syndrome increases the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
While there is some evidence that limiting carbohydrates may improve insulin sensitivity in overweight adults -- and thereby potentially cut their risk of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes -- not all carbs are alike. The new findings, say the study authors, support the idea that whole grains, particularly those rich in fiber, may help prevent metabolic syndrome.
The study included 2,834 adults whose average age was 54. The researchers found that higher whole-grain intake was associated with better insulin sensitivity and a lower prevalence of metabolic syndrome -- mostly owing to higher fiber consumption. The link remained regardless of factors such as age, total calorie and fat intake and exercise. Making fiber-rich whole grains a bigger part of overall carbohydrate intake, the authors conclude, may help lower the odds of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Posted in Diabetes on June 27, 2006
Reviewed June 2011
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