Whole grains are a diabetes superfood

Diet is now internationally recognised as being a major tool in controlling both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. In many type 2 cases, diet can be the major governing factor in deciding whether a patient has to use insulin. For this reason, eating a healthy diet is essential. Whole grains have always been regarded as a healthy food type, but a recent study has shown that they may also lower a person’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
The study, which was conducted by researchers at the Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark, collated data from 900 healthy men and women. They found that those subjects who reported a higher whole grain intake had lower cholesterol levels, better-controlled blood sugar levels and fewer indicators of heart disease.
Homocysteine, a blood protein that has been linked to both heart disease and stroke, was found to be 17 per cent less evident in men and women who ate the highest levels of whole grains compared with those who ate the least. Other levels, such as insulin and C-peptide were also lower. Lepti, a hormone that indicates levels of body fat, was also found to be less evident.
Whole grains should be used by diabetics to replace refined carbs, the authors concluded.