Grain fibre and magnesium intake linked to lower diabetes risk

A recent research has found that higher dietary intake of grain fibre, cereals and magnesium may each be linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes.

Washington, May 15 : A recent research has found that higher dietary intake of grain fibre, cereals and magnesium may each be linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes.

Projections, according to the study published in the May 14 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals, show that the number of people diagnosed with diabetes worldwide may increase from 171 million in 2000 to 370 million by 2030.

The associated illness, death and health care costs highlight the need for efficient prevention, the authors write. Fibre may help lessen the risk of diabetes by escalating the amount of nutrients absorbed by the body and plummeting blood sugar spikes after eating, among other mechanisms.

Current American Diabetes Association guidelines include goals for full fibre intake, but research suggests that some types of fibre may be more helpful than others. Findings regarding magnesium and diabetes risk remain unclear.

Matthias B. Schulze, Dr.P.H., and colleagues at the German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Nuthetal, conducted a study of 9,702 men and 15,365 women age 35 to 65 years.

Participants completed a food questionnaire when they registered for the study between 1994 and 1998, then were followed up through 2005-an average of seven years-to see if they developed diabetes. Additionally, the researchers performed a meta-analysis of earlier published work related to intake of fibre or magnesium and risk of diabetes.

During the follow-up period, 844 individuals in the study developed type 2 diabetes. Those who consumed more fibre through cereal, bread and other grain products (cereal fibre) were at a lesser risk of diabetes than those who ate less fibre. When the participants were divided into five groups based on cereal fibre intake, those who ate the most (an average of 17 grams per day) had a 27 per cent lower risk of developing diabetes than those in the group that ate the least (an average of 7 grams per day).

Eating more fibre on the whole or from fruits and vegetables was not connected with diabetes risk, nor was magnesium intake.

In the meta-analysis, the researchers recognized nine studies of fiber and eight studies of magnesium intake.

Based on the results of all the studies, in which participants were categorized into either four or five groups according to their intake of fibre or magnesium, those who consumed the most cereal fibre had a 33 percent lower risk of developing diabetes than those who took in the least, while those who consumed the most magnesium had a 23 percent lower risk than those who consumed the least. There was no association between fruit or vegetable fibre and diabetes risk.

"In conclusion, the evidence from our study and previous studies, summarized by means of meta-analysis, strongly supports that higher cereal fibre and magnesium intake may decrease diabetes risk," the authors conclude. "Whole-grain foods are therefore important in diabetes prevention."

ANI