Researchers found that the relationship between breakfast cereal consumption and reduced type-2 diabetes incidence was greatest among those who consumed whole grain breakfast cereals rather than refined breakfast cereals. Those who consumed the highest category of whole-grain showed a 45% reduction in type-2 diabetes risk while those who consumed refined breakfast cereals only showed a 12% reduction in risk which was not statistically significant.
The study, carried out by researchers at the Harvard Medical School in Boston Massachusetts, used data from the Physicians' Health Study (PHS) which followed over 20,000 individuals.
Researchers believe that it may be the dietary fiber in whole-grain cereals that reduces type-2 diabetes risk by increasing the ability of insulin to regulate blood glucose levels.
According to the authors "Dietary fiber may slow the absorption of nutrients in the gut, thereby attenuating the glycemic response to ingested carbohydrates. Reduced blood glucose decreases the quantity of insulin required to clear glucose from the blood, and this, in turn, may lead to up-regulation of insulin receptors on cells, thereby increasing insulin sensitivity."
The findings come on the heels of other studies that have demonstrated the many health benefits of whole-grain foods.
"Several studies have shown that daily consumption of whole-grains can reduce the risk of developing not only diabetes, but other illnesses such as coronary heart disease. People should be consuming a minimum of 2 to 3 servings of whole-grain foods a day," according to Anthony Wilson, owner of http://healthhubs.net, a health news and information website.
