Wouldn't It would be great if this was reliable research ?
(I hope I've got the right one, else I've wasted a lot of time)
http://indjst.org/archive/vol.3.issue.3/mar10prieya-13.pdf
Though the press release cites a US source about the increase in the numbers of people with T2 the wheat bran study is from the food and technology departments of 2 Indian Universities. Someone seems to have been excellent at promoting their paper .
30 subjects 15 provided with bran supplements, 15 as control without
Trial was 6 months long
Supplement of 20g wheat bran per day . The subjects were instructed to mix 10g with 50g of wheat flour to make chapattis. This was eaten twice a day.
The results reported are extremely impressive
Average HbA1c in the experimental group fell from 8.37 % to at 6 months 6.41%. Average fasting glucose also fell by 22.8mg/dl and average post prandial levels are also reported to have fallen with an average fall of 39.80 mg/dl (
but they don't report whether this was after a specific test meal , a weeks self monitoring, how long after eating etc etc)
In contrast a study in 2002 http://care.diabetesjournals.org/conten ... 22.full#T2
23 diabetic subjects
Each subject spent 3 months on their normal diet with provided bread and cereal supplemented with 19g of wheat bran , thye also spent 3 months as their own control, again on their normal diet but provided with white bread and a cereal containing only 4g of fibre. The cereal products provided contained similar amounts of protein, fat , and availabel carbs. The difference was in the wheat bran fibre. Uneaten supplements were weighed and recorded.
There was a 2 month period between trials and the order they completed the trial was randomised.
No change was seen in mean blood glucose or HbA1c level across either treatment or between treatments
Actually there were no changes in any markers (lipids, blood pressure and many others)
conclusion was
We conclude that addition of wheat bran to foods did not seem to influence glycemic control or risk factors for CHD in subjects with type 2 diabetes. ......' in the short term, no major change should be expected in blood lipid levels and glycemic control from supplementing the diet of diabetic subjects with wheat bran.'
The 2002 study is by a group of very experienced researchers, It appeared to be a very well controlled and well documented piece of reseach . It was published in a major, peer reviewed journal. Very odd that the 2010 paper doesn't even reference it. Even an undergraduate study should start with a literature search (the researchers don't actually claimto have a BSc between them). Sadly, they also haven't checked their abstract:
The present study was to supplement wheat bran........Group A formed the experimental group to which 60 g of wheat germ was supplemented daily for a period of six months. ( 60g here 20g in the body of the paper, wheat germ and wheat bran are not the same thing )
But,if you haven't gone to sleep!
There have been many other studies suggesting that whole grains, and/or cereal fibre help in preventing problems in diabetes. Earlier in the year the Nurses Health study reported that wheat bran may be protectve in the longterm but I really think a drop of 2% points on HbA1c by taking bran is wildly optimistic http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content ... 21/20/2162