Whole Grains and Whole Fruits for Diabetics and Heart Disease
Myth:
If you have diabetes you should not eat whole grains or fruits. THIS IS FALSE.
First, here is one reference: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32142510/
This is an article that looked at patients who had type1 or type 2 diabetes and they were followed for over 8 years. They found that higher fiber diets were “an important component of diabetes management, resulting in improvements in measures of glycemic control, blood lipids, body weight, and inflammation, as well as a reduction in premature mortality.”
To translate: They lived longer. Their diabetes was in better control. They felt better.
The important conclusion “One practical way to increase fiber intakes is to replace refined grain products with whole grains.”
But blood sugar goes up with foods: yes, if you eat some fruit you will have a small increase in your blood sugar. But what this study looks at is the overall pattern of blood sugar over time and how well your body deals with it.
Here is another reference: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28397016/
This looked at the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and looking for the association between whole grains, refined grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, eggs, dairy, fish, red meat, processed meat, and sugar-sweetened beverages.”
Conclusions: the optimal consumption of risk-decreasing foods were 2 servings a day of whole grains, 2-3 servings a day of vegetables, 2-3 servings a day of fruit and 3 servings a day of dairy. That reduced the risk of diabetes by 42%. The highest reduction in risk for type two diaetes was whole grains, with 50 grams a day.
What about keto? It turns out that 2 servings a day of red meat, 4 of processed meats, 3 of sugary beverages (about 3 drinks) and 1 serving of eggs was associated with a 3 times risk of developing type two diabetes compared to not consuming those. In fact if you don’t consume those foods your risk of type two diabetes falls by 70%.
The highest risk reduction was by reducing red and processed meat and sugary beverages.
What about heart disease? https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27301975/
This study showed “that whole grain intake is associated with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease, cardiovascular disease, and total cancer, and mortality from all causes, respiratory diseases, infectious diseases, diabetes, and all non-cardiovascular, non-cancer causes. These findings support dietary guidelines that recommend increased intake of whole grain to reduce the risk of chronic diseases and premature mortality”
I know the people who believe in the low-carb lifestyle think they are having a reduction of risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer – but the opposite is true – according to these studies – which looked at many studies.
Eat healthy: whole grains (not refined grains) whole fruits, whole vegetables and legumes. Yes, you can still have meats and you should have fish – but these should not be the primary focus of your diet.