Quoted message said:"I doubt that whole grain consumption is nearly as protective against
diabetes as no grain consumption. It's only been studied as compared
to
Quoted message said:a refined starch diet."
research with large populations over periods of time to assess
outcomes. There are few places where a near no grain diet
exists,ex.
Quoted message said:high latitudes, and even there grain based foods are now part of the
diet and large differences in other factors that complicate matters.
The best experiments nature has done based on health and lifespan
outcomes are the mediterranean and e. asian diets. In the first
whole
Quoted message said:grains, fish and dairy and few other animal sources of protein, olive
oil in place of saturated fats, a great variety of plant based foods
etc. are the norm. In the second very large amounts of milled
grains,etc little meat, a great variety of plant foods, plant fat
sources, etc. provides some contrasts and similarities with the
first.
Quoted message said:
Here is a study addressing specifically the question at hand with
regard to whole grains and beans:
http://tinyurl.com/57l5k
Cereal grains, legumes and diabetes
B J Venn1 and J I Mann1
1Department of Human Nutrition, University of Otago, New Zealand
Correspondence to: BJ Venn, Department of Human Nutrition, University
of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand. E-mail:
[email hidden]
Guarantor: BJ Venn and JI Mann.
Contributors: BJV and JIM researched and wrote the review.
Abstract
This review examines the evidence for the role of whole grain foods and
legumes in the aetiology and management of diabetes. MedLine and
SilverPlatter ('Nutrition' and 'Food Science FSTA'😉 databases were
searched to identify epidemiological and experimental studies relating
to the effects of whole grain foods and legumes on indicators of
carbohydrate metabolism. Epidemiological studies strongly support the
suggestion that high intakes of whole grain foods protect against the
development of type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM). People who consume ~3
servings per day of whole grain foods are less likely to develop T2DM
than low consumers (<3 servings per week) with a risk reduction in the
order of 20-30%. The role of legumes in the prevention of diabetes is
less clear, possibly because of the relatively low intake of leguminous
foods in the populations studied. However, legumes share several
qualities with whole grains of potential benefit to glycaemic control
including slow release carbohydrate and a high fibre content. A
substantial increase in dietary intake of legumes as replacement food
for more rapidly digested carbohydrate might therefore be expected to
improve glycaemic control and thus reduce incident diabetes. This is
consistent with the results of dietary intervention studies that have
found improvements in glycaemic control after increasing the dietary
intake of whole grain foods, legumes, vegetables and fruit. The benefit
has been attributed to an increase in soluble fibre intake. However,
prospective studies have found that soluble fibre intake is not
associated with a lower incidence of T2DM. On the contrary, it is
cereal fibre that is largely insoluble that is associated with a
reduced risk of developing T2DM. Despite this, the addition of wheat
bran to the diets of diabetic people has not improved indicators of
glycaemic control. These apparently contradictory findings might be
explained by metabolic studies that have indicated improvement in
glucose handling is associated with the intact structure of food. For
both grains and legumes, fine grinding disrupts cell structures and
renders starch more readily accessible for digestion. The extent to
which the intact structure of grains and legumes or the composition of
foods in terms of dietary fibre and other constituents contribute to
the beneficial effect remains to be quantified. Other mechanisms to
help explain improvements in glycaemic control when consuming whole
grains and legumes relate to cooking, type of starch, satiety and
nutrient retention. Thus, there is strong evidence to suggest that
eating a variety of whole grain foods and legumes is beneficial in the
prevention and management of diabetes. This is compatible with advice
from around the world that recommends consumption of a wide range of
carbohydrate foods from cereals, vegetables, legumes and fruits both
for the general population and for people with diabetes.
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2004) 58, 1443-1461.
---------
One of the authors has done work for Kelloggs:
Jim I. Mann, Departments of Human Nutrition and Preventive and Social
Medicine, the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. Research on
the most appropriate means of increasing dietary folate to reduce
plasma tHcy funded by Kellogg Company. (Am. J. Clin. Nutr.
2000;71:1448-54)
And of course the study referenced here has good things to say about
whole *grain* foods. Big surprise.
TC
