Why Fiber Helps Diabetes

Why does eating a high fiber diet help modulate blood sugar? Studies indicate that the roughage slows the absorption of carbohydrates and prevents surges in blood sugar. Also an increase in fiber increases the viscosity of gastrointenstinal contents, which in turn retards gastric emptying and slows the absorption of glucose.

A sugar low-fiber diet, on the other hand, is prone to create a chronic demand for insulin. In fact, over time the pancreas is unable to make enough insulin that someone on this type of diet would require, causing the most common type of diabetes-type diabetes. Diets that include high fiber can help diabetics control blood sugar and  a beneficial side effect of eating high fiber diet may be less calorie intake and beautiful, slim figure.

 

Research and Study on Fiber

High fiber diets can help diabetics control blood sugar and improve insulin, cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Soluble plant fiber psyllium showed significant improvements in glycemic and lipid values where oat brain improved glycemic, insulinemic, and lipidemic responses.

Many studies have been conducted to determine the effect that a high fiber diet has on blood sugar and the types of fiber that are most beneficial. A study was conducted on 13 type 2 diabetics and reported in the New England Journal of Medicine. The patients are the recommended American Diabetes Association diet, which contains 24g of fiber consist of 8g soluble and 16g insoluble for six weeks. They then ate a high fiber diet containing 50g of fiber (25 soluble and 25 insoluble for fix more weeks.

The patients showed significant improvements in blood sugar during the high-fiber weeks. They also experienced an improvement in insulin, cholesterol and triglyceride levels during those weeks. A typical diet in the U.S and most of Europe contains about 14g of fiber a day. High fiber foods included in this diet were cantaloupe, grapefruit, orange, papaya, winter squash, zucchini, granola, oat bran, and oatmeal. These foods are very high in soluble fiber. In fact, this study indicates that eating these kinds of foods daily can help control calories intake.

In another study researchers compared the effect of the soluble plant fiber psyllium on postprandial glucose levels. Thirty-four men with type 2 diabetes were randomly given 5.1g of psyllium or cellulose placebo twice daily for eight weeks. Serum lipid and glycemic indexes were evaluated twice weekly and at the beginning and end of the study. The patients who received psyllium showed significant improvements in glycemic and lipid values compared with the placebo group. Serum total and LDL cholesterol concentrations were also lower in the psyllium group.

A third study evaluated the long-term effects which is 24 weeks of including oat bran concentrated bread products in the diets of eight men with type 2 diabetes. Four men were fed a diet containing tasty high fiber oat bran concentrated bread products for 12 weeks. The other group switched for 12 more weeks. The other group are control white bread. Then the groups switched for 12 more weeks. Researches found tat during the time that the patients ate white bread they had a total dietary fiber intake of 19g per day. During the time that they ate the oat bran bread they had a total dietary fiber intake of 34g per day, 9 of which were soluble fiber from the oat bran concentrate. The researchers also found that the oat brain improved glycemic, insulinemic, and lipidemic responses.