Diabetics and Fiber

Eating fiber every day decreases the risk factors associated with diabetes according to a new
study in Nutrition Journal. Researchers found that increased dietary fiber intake amound diabetic
patients was associated with better blood sugar control, reduced cardiovascular disease risk
factors and incidence of chronic kidney disease.
More than 25.8 million Americans of all ages are affected by diabetes, about 8.3 percent of the
U.S. population, according to the National Institute of Health. It's the leading cause of kidney
failure, nontraumatic lower-limb amputations and new cases of blindness among adults as well as
a major cause of heart disease and stroke.
The new study, which appears in Nutrition Journal, took a look at fiber among 4,399 Japanese
subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus using a self-administered diet history questionnaire.
Researchers investigated the information and associations between dietary fiber intake and
various cardiovascular risk factors cross-sectionally.
They found that "increased dietary fiber intake was associated with better glycemic control and
more favorable cardiovascular disease risk factors including chronic kidney disease," they wrote.
"Diabetic patients should be encouraged to consume more dietary fiber in daily life."
The American Dietetic Association and the Institute of Medicine recommend that healthy adults
get between 18 and 35 grams a day of fiber from fruits, vegetables, whole and high-fiber grains
and legumes. The Harvard School of Public Health says the average American's daily intake of
dietary fiber is only 12 to 15 grams. Fiber supplements could help bridge the gap. "Even with a
fiber-rich diet, a supplement may be needed to bring fiber intakes into a range adequate to
prevent constipation," according to the ADA.