Soluble Fibers Reduce Post-Meal Glucose

At the 2010 IFT Annual Meeting & Food Expo, a scientific panel presented several studies supporting the link between a high-fiber diet and reduced risk of type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease.

In one study, presented by Britt Burton Freeman, PhD, assistant professor of nutrition at the Illinois Institute of Technology and the University of California, Davis, results showed that soluble viscous fibers, such as psyllium, guar gum, pectin and beta-glucan, are most effective at reducing post-meal glucose. High post-meal glucose is a significant issue for people with diabetes.

Results from another study found that each daily single-serving of whole grain lowers the risk of developing diabetes by 10 percent, according to In one analysis, scientists found that each one serving per day increment in whole grain intake is associated with a 10 percent lower risk of developing diabetes, said Frank B. Hu, MD, PhD, professor of nutrition, epidemiology and medicine in the Department of Nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health.

The metabolic and digestive benefits of whole-grain fiber are many, Hu said, including increased satiety, increased insulin sensitivity, reduced inflammation and binding of bile acids and increasing excretion of cholesterol.