About The Buzz: A High-Fiber Diet Reduces Your Risk of Type 2 Diabetes?
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
If you want to decrease your chances of developing type 2 diabetes, include more fiber in your diet!
WHAT WE KNOW
Fiber helps reduce the risk of certain cancers, diabetes and heart disease. It also helps you feel fuller longer, helping with weight loss and weight maintenance. In addition, fiber helps keep the gastrointestinal (GI) tract in tip-top shape and removes circulating blood cholesterol from the body, meaning it’s involved with keeping cholesterol levels at a healthy level.1 Anyone who includes the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables in her/his diet is likely doing a good job of getting adequate fiber. Fiber intake varies depending on a person’s age, sex, and stage of life. Not sure how much you need? Check out the chart below.2
How Much Fiber Do You Need?
7-12 months
Not determined
4-8 years
25
14-18 years
19-30 years
31-50 years
51-70 years
>70 years
38
38
38
30
30
14-18 years
19-30 years
31-50 years
51-70 years
>70 years
26
26
26
21
20
19-30 years
31-50 years
28
28
19-30 years
31-50 years
29
29
WHY THIS MATTERS
In 2011, 366 million people worldwide were living with diabetes, and this number is expected to rise to 552 million by 2030.3 This increase is largely due to people and countries around the globe shifting towards a diet that includes lots of processed sugars, refined grains like white bread, and not enough fruits and vegetables. Health complications typically associated with diabetes include cardiovascular disease, damage to the nerves, kidneys, eyes and feet; skin conditions, hearing impairment and Alzheimer’s disease.4
In early 2015, researchers from Europe published a study on the connection between a person’s fiber intake and their risk of developing diabetes. The study was large, following more than 26,000 people for 11 years.5 They found that participants who consumed the highest amounts of fiber (more than 26 grams each day) were 18% less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those with the lowest fiber intake (less than 19 grams each day).
The study also found that people who had the most fiber in their diets were less likely to smoke, drank little alcohol and were more physically active than those with low fiber intake. This is important because physical activity and fiber intake play important roles in weight loss and weight maintenance. High fiber intake did not protect participants whose body mass index (BMI) – an estimate of body fat based on height and weight – was classified as obese. Obesity nullifies the benefits of a high fiber diet. In order to reap the benefits of high fiber intake, a person must be at a healthy weight.
OUR ADVICE
The most effective way to pack your diet with fiber is to fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables, including beans like black beans, and to make sure that half of the grains you eat are whole grains. Doing so ensures you’re getting fiber every single time you eat! What are some ways you can do this? Add fruit to your favorite yogurt and whole-grain cereals, top pizza with sliced veggies, drink 100% fruit juice, and pack veggie sticks and hummus as an afternoon snack – the possibilities are endless! In addition, use the chart below to help you choose which high-fiber fruits and veggies to pick to maximize your fiber intake.
A word of caution: increase your fiber intake gradually to prevent unpleasant gastrointestinal symptoms such as upset stomach and bloating!
Examples of Amount of Fiber in Fruits & Veggies
Visit MayoClinic.com for more information on high-fiber foods, such as nuts, legumes (beans) and cereals.
Video Center: Selection. Storage. Preparation.
How Many Cups Do You Need?
Key Nutrients in Fruits & Vegetables
Fruit & Veggie Database
