High-Fiber Breakfast May Cut Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes: Study

Dietary fiber has been long known to aid in human digestion. Now, researchers claim that people who eat the most common form of dietary fiber -- cereal fiber -- are less likely to develop Type 2 diabetes.

The researchers claim that the fiber from cereal helps people even more than fiber from vegetables and fruits. However, the researchers are still trying to understand the reasons behind the findings.

“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,” said Dagfinn Aune, a Ph.D. student at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.

Aune further revealed that cereal fiber can further help keep the body mass index (BMI) in place, hence maintaining the body weight. In addition, the fiber can help reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by reducing the insulin peaks after each meal and control of blood sugar.

During the study, the researchers noticed that subjects who were asked to consume 26 grams of dietary fiber per day were 18 percent less likely to develop Type 2 diabetes, as compared to those who were given 19 grams of fiber every day.

In addition, the researchers also found that consumers of cereal fiber were at 19 percent lower risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. On the other hand, those who consumed vegetable fiber were at 16 percent lower risk of developing the disease.

“This work adds to the growing evidence of the health benefits of diets rich in fiber, in particular cereal fiber,” the study concludes.

The study has been published in the journal Diabetologia.