Choose Whole Grains for Health
Research offers even more support for increasing whole grain foods in the diet for optimal health.
Increased consumption of whole-grain foods can improve the body’s ability to use insulin as compared to refined grains. This is what researchers concluded after following 11 individuals who consumed both kinds of diets for 6 weeks. Improving insulin sensitivity can help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease – our leading killers.
There is strong evidence that when cells are resistant to insulin, the risk of these diseases increases dramatically. Insulin is a hormone released by the pancreas in response to sugar levels in the blood. Insulin helps sugar leave the blood and enter the cells for energy. A build-up of sugar and insulin in the blood can lead to negative symptoms and increased disease risk.
Researchers tested two similar diets on 11 overweight adults with already-high insulin levels. The only difference in the diets were the sources of grain: for 6 weeks, participants ate foods made with refined grains and flours in addition to fat and protein sources; and for another 6 weeks, they ate the same diet only substituting the refined grain foods for similar whole-grain alternatives.
The scientists found that subjects’ fasting insulin was significantly lower on the whole-grain diet than the refined grain diet – indicating increased insulin sensitivity by the cells. While on the whole-grain diets, subjects also experienced more feelings of fullness and more frequent bowel movements.
The findings from this study on insulin sensitivity lend important evidence to the already growing body of research that shows increasing whole-grain food consumption in the diet reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and premature death.
Reference:
Pereira, MA, Jacobs, DR, Pins, JJ, Raatz, SK, Gross, MD, Slavin, JL, Seaquist, ER. (2002). Effect of whole grains on insulin sensitivity in overweight hyperinsulinemic adults. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 75: 848-855.
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