What do whole grains have to do with diabetes?

Again and again we hear that carbohydrates would cause type 2 diabetes. However, the fact that it makes an enormous difference in which form one consumes carbohydrates plays an important role here. If we start from cereals and cereal products, under no circumstances should whole grain products be lumped together with products made from white flour.

Today we want to present you with studies that we have selected from several that have all come to similar conclusions. With these studies, we want to clarify what whole grains may have to do with diabetes.

One of the studies – a meta-study of eight studies involving more than 15,000 cases of type 2 diabetes sufferers among more than 300,000 participants – showed that increased consumption of whole grains resulted in a reduced risk of diabetes.[1]

But it is not just the high fiber content of whole grains (as opposed to white/extracted flour products) that is the reason for this risk reduction. Further studies[2],[3] show “that a plant-based diet with abundant whole grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables significantly reduces the risk of diabetes and is successful in diabetes therapy.” [4]

A somewhat older study[5] also produced interesting results: the 60 participating subjects had to eat a high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet for 26 days. Twenty-three of them were taking a diabetes medication, all but two of whom were able to discontinue this one after the end of the study. There were 17 subjects requiring insulin, 13 of whom discontinued their insulin after the 26 days.

Now you see what consuming whole grains can do to type 2 diabetes. Exciting – or? And if you want to have explained again very briefly and simply what the difference between whole wheat flour and white flour is, then this post is just right for you: White flour – wholemeal flour >>

[1] Chanson-Rolle, A., Meynier, A., Aubin, F., Lappi, J., Poutanen, K., Vinoy, S., Braesco, V. (2015): Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Human Studies to Support a Quantitative Recommendation for Whole Grain Intake in Relation to Type 2 Diabetes. PLoS One 10 (6), e0131377

[2] McMacken, M., Shah, S. (2017): A plant-based diet for the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes. J Geriatr Cardiol, 14(5), 342-354.

[3] Tonstad, S., Stewart, K., Oda, K., Batech, M., Herring, R. P., Fraser, G. E. (2013): Vegetarian diets and incidence of diabetes in the Adventist Health Study-2. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis 23 (4), 292-299.

[4] Rittenau, N. (2019): Goodbye vegan cliché! Scientific answers to critical questions about vegan nutrition. Mainz: Ventil Verlag UG & Co. KG, p. 251

[5] Barnard, R. J., Lattimore, L., Holly, R.G., Cherny, S., Pritikin, N. (1982): Response of non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients to an intensive program of diet and exercise. Diabetes Care, 5 (4), 370-374 https://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/5/4/370.short (9/30/2019).