Eating bran good for diabetics

Women with diabetes who follow a diet rich in bran-containing foods have a significantly lower death rate than others.

Although whole-grain consumption has been associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and mortality in the general population, the association of whole grain with mortality in diabetic patients remains to be determined. To investigate whole grain and its components cereal fiber, bran, and germ in relation to CVD  mortality in diabetics,  researchers followed 7,822 American women diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, the kind that generally develops in the adult years as the body loses its ability to metabolise blood sugar. The women answered questions about their diets every four years.

Over the 26 years covered by the study, the women in the top 20 percent for intake of whole grain, which includes bran and fiber, had a 35 percent lower risk for death from cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack and stroke and a 28 percent lower risk for death from all causes than women in the bottom 20 percent. The study results pointed mainly to bran intake as the protective factor. Women in the highest group for added bran had a 55 percent lower risk for death from all causes and a 64 percent lower risk for cardiovascular death than those who ate no added bran. Bran is the hard, fiber-rich outer layer of grains such as wheat and oats. It is often removed when those grains are processed.

These findings suggest a potential benefit of bran intake in reducing mortality and cardiovascular risk in diabetic patients. The study did not look at the reason why whole grains and bran were protective, but previous research has found lower levels of inflammatory biomarkers associated with them. Whole grains appear to reduce inflammation and improve the function of the endothelium, the thin layer of cells that line the interior of blood vessels that plays an important role in regulating blood pressure.

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