Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Livinig Well with the Carrie Connection

Researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas have found that increasing intake of dietary fiber lowers blood sugar levels in type two diabetics.

They found that study patients who included 50 grams of fiber in their diet every day for six weeks lowered their blood sugar levels by 10 percent. This amount is about twice as much fiber as the American Diabetes Association currently recommends. Most Americans consume about 17 grams of fiber per day.

You don't have to use fiber supplements to get this much fiber. The study reports that the 50 grams of fiber was attained through eating fruits, vegetables and whole grain foods. Foods that were used to boost the fiber intake of the study's subjects were rich in soluble fiber and included cantaloupe, grapefruit, oranges, papayas, raisins, beans, okra, sweet potatoes, winter and zucchini squash, granola, oat bran and oatmeal.

The high fiber diet also decreased insulin levels in the blood and lowered blood cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations in the subjects with type 2 diabetes. These results support the view that diet can improve blood sugar and lipid levels and reduce the risk of long-term diabetic complications.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend eating a variety fruits, vegetables and grain foods daily. Whole fruits and vegetables rather than juice and whole grains are better, because they have more fiber.

For more information on eating healthfully for diabetes contact the Nevada County Extension office.

Need support to help you handle your diabetes or that of a loved one? Support groups are available  the second Wednesday of each month at 2:00 p.m. or the third Thursday of each month at 7:00 p.m.

For more information you can call 887-2818.