Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. This meta-analysis shows that supplementation with soluble fiber ranging from 3.5 to 15 grams per day significantly reduces fasting blood sugar by 9.97 mg/dl in patients with type 2 diabetes.

In 2011, diabetes cost our healthcare system $245 billion and currently affects nearly 26 million Americans, with 79 million more with “pre-diabetes”. In addition to having a 2 to 4 times greater risk for stroke, diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in Americans 20-74 years of age (1).

At the heart of diabetes prevention is controlling blood sugar levels. A number of nutrition options have been shown to help with blood sugar control and diabetes risk, including consumption of 75 grams of nuts (2), 300 mg of  vitamin B1 (3), 500+ milligrams of flavonols (4) 400+ grams of dairy (5) per day. Now a new review of the research (6) suggests that increased fiber intake may be a very effective way to help control blood sugar.

In the review, researchers analyzed data from 11 studies lasting between 8 and 24 weeks and consisting of 605 patients with an average age of 60 and diagnosed with type 2 diabetes for between 3 and 9 years. The researchers found significant benefits of fiber intake on blood sugar level when fiber from food intake ranged from 37.4 to 42.6 grams per day and supplementation of soluble fiber ranged from 3.5 to 15 grams per day. Those levels of fiber consumption decreased absolute values of a marker of type 2 diabetes called glycated hemoglobin (called “HbA1c”) by 0.55% (p < 0.001) while reducing fasting blood sugar by 9.97 milligram/deciliter (p < 0.001) compared to the control diets.

When proposing the mechanisms of how fiber elicits benefits on blood sugar, the researchers cite soluble fiber’s ability to slow digestion in the stomach before food is moved to the small intestine, which helps control blood sugar (8). What’s more, both soluble and insoluble fiber improve blood sugar control by increasing the insulin sensitivity (9, 10), although the authors admit “the mechanisms associated with this last beneficial effect have not yet been completely established.”

For the researchers, “increased fiber intake improved glycemic control, indicating it should be considered as an adjunctive tool in the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes.”

Source: Silva, Flávia M., et al. “Fiber intake and glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review with meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.” Nutrition reviews 71.12 (2013): 790-801.

© 2013 International Life Sciences Institute

Posted January 6, 2014.

Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Hauppauge, NY.  You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at PitchingDoc@msn.com or visiting his web site at www.PitchingDoc.com

References:

  1. “Diabetes Statistics” posted on the American Diabetes Association Website.
  2. Jenkins DJ. Nuts as a replacement for carbohydrates in the diabetic diet. Diabetes Care 2011 Aug;34(8):1706-11. doi: 10.2337/dc11-0338. Epub 2011 Jun 29.
  3. Alaei Shahmiri F. High-dose thiamine supplementation improves glucose tolerance in hyperglycemic individuals: a randomized, double-blind cross-over trial. Eur J Nutr 2013 May 29. [Epub ahead of print]
  4. Jacques PF. Higher Dietary Flavonol Intake Is Associated with Lower Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes. J Nutr 2013 Sep;143(9):1474-80. doi: 10.3945/jn.113.177212
  5. Aune D.  Dairy products and the risk of type 2 diabetes: a systematic review an dose-response meta-analysis of cohort studies. Amer Jou Clin Nutr 2013; doi: 10.3945/ajcn.113.059030.
  6. Silva FM. Fiber intake and glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review with meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Nutr Rev 2013 Dec;71(12):790-801. doi: 10.1111/nure.12076. Epub 2013 Nov 1.
  7. Jenkins DJ, Kendall CW, McKeown-Eyssen G, et al. Effect of a low-glycemic index or a high-cereal fiber diet on type 2 diabetes: a randomized trial. JAMA. 2008;300:2742–2753.
  8. Papathanasopoulos A, Camilleri M. Dietary fiber supplements: effects in obesity and metabolic syndrome and relationship to gastrointestinal functions. Gastroenterology. 2010;138:65–72.
  9. Ylonen K, Saloranta C, Kronberg-Kippila C, et al. Associations of dietary fiber with glucose metabolism in nondiabetic relatives of subjects with type 2 diabetes: the Botnia Dietary Study. Diabetes Care. 2003;26:1979–1985.
  10. McKeown NM, Meigs JB, Liu S, et al. Carbohydrate nutrition, insulin resistance, and the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome in the Framingham Offspring Cohort. Diabetes Care. 2004;27:538–546