New research backs up past findings that increasing one's fiber intake could effectively prevent type 2 diabetes.
Past studies on the subject have primarily focused on people from the United States, but average daily fiber consumption is considerably varied among different countries, the European Association for the Study of Diabetes reported. This new study looked at a large European cohort that included eight countries in what was called the EPIC-InterAct Study. They also conducted a meta-analysis consisting of 18 independent studies from around the world.
The large population of study participants were divided into four groups of equal size based on lowest to highest fiber intake, and followed incidents of type 2 diabetes onset for a period of 11 years. They found the group that consumed over 26 grams of fiber a day was 18 percent less likely to develop diabetes when compared with the group that consumed less than 19 grams. The findings were adjusted for outside influences such as lifestyle factors and other dietary factors. When Body Mass Index (BMI) was taken into account, highest levels of fiber intake were no longer linked to a reduced risk of diabetes, suggesting dietary fiber could reduce diabetes risk by helping people maintain a healthy weight.
The study also showed fiber from cereal had the highest inverse relationship with diabetes risk, but fiber from fruit did not have the same effect.
"Taken together, our results indicate that individuals with diets rich in [fiber], in particular cereal [fiber], may be at lower risk of type 2 diabetes. We are not certain why this might be, but potential mechanisms could include feeling physically full for longer, prolonged release of hormonal signals, slowed down nutrient absorption, or altered fermentation in the large intestine. All these mechanisms could lead to a lower BMI and reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes. As well as helping keep weight down, dietary [fiber] may also affect diabetes risk by other mechanisms-for instance improving control of blood sugar and decreasing insulin peaks after meals, and increasing the body's sensitivity to insulin," said researcher Dagfinn Aune.
The findings were reported in a recent edition of the journal Diabetologia.
