Whole-Grain Foods Reduce Risk of Type 2 Diabetes – (10-05-00)

Whole-Grain Foods Reduce Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

Do you sometimes wonder how much money is spent on studies that come to such incredibly obvious conclusions? And, considering how the Western diet emphasizes refined carbohydrates at the expense of whole grains, is it also not a big surprise that the rates of diabetes are skyrocketing?

Am J Public Health 2000;90:1409-1415 Increasing consumption of whole-grain foods reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in women, according to the results of a large, prospective study. This effect is not completely explained by dietary fiber, magnesium, and vitamin E content, suggesting that other characteristics of whole grains are important in protecting against diabetes. When the investigators compared subjects with the highest and lowest quintiles of whole-grain intake, the relative risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus was 0.62. For refined grain intake, the relative risk was 1.31. After adjusting for age and total energy intake, increasing ratios of refined- to whole-grain intake were associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes, with those in the highest quintile at 57% greater risk for the disease than those in the lowest quintile. “Other antioxidants, nutrients, or phytochemicals in whole grains or interactions among them also may play important roles in risk reduction,” the investigators conclude.