Fiber And Diabetes

As a young child, I learned that milk is a complete food because it contains most of the nutrients needed for good health. In particular, milk is the best natural source of vitamin D and calcium - the key nutrients for bone health.

However, the combination of vitamin D and calcium was found to reduce the risk of developing type-2 diabetes, which we (even adults) more reason to drink milk.

According to this story: three daily servings of low fat milk or fat-free provides 900 mg calcium, 300 IU of vitamin D and 80 mg of magnesium per day.

Magnesium is attracted my attention - because the increase of magnesium in the diet has recently been linked to reduced risk of type 2 diabetes as well.

Well, I guess we all should start drinking milk - especially if like me you have lost the habit, somewhere in time - if we remember to keep it fat free.

A German study suggests that increased consumption of cereal fiber and rich in magnesium can significantly reduce the risk of developing diabetes. That research, led by Matthias Schulze, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke revealed the following:

- The consumption of fiber in cereals, bread and other grain products (cereal fiber) was associated with reduced risk of diabetes, the higher fiber intake (an average of 29 grams per day) led to 27 % less risk than those with the lowest dose (an average of 15.1 grams per day).
- No observed difference in risk reduction between the soluble and insoluble fiber
- The highest consumption of cereal fiber was associated with a 33% reduction in diabetes risk
- The consumption of most magnesium had 23 percent lower risk compared with those who consumed the least

In both cases (fiber or magnesium), no association was found between the fibers of fruits or vegetables and the risk of diabetes. The findings of the study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, strongly support the importance of whole grain foods in the prevention of diabetes.

But of course it can not be simply fiber and magnesium, but a fully balanced diet that will reduce our risk of developing diabetes.

Other sources of magnesium are green vegetables, meats, starches, grains and nuts, and eating more of them may be able to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, according to a meta-analysis observational studies by researchers at the Karolinska Institutet.
"The results of this meta-analysis of cohort studies indicate that increased consumption of magnesium may reduce the incidence of type 2 diabetes. The evidence of compliance should be treated as binding, but not definitive.

The potential protective role of magnesium intake against type 2 diabetes may be due to improved sensitivity to insulin. Animal studies have shown a negative effect of magnesium deficiency on glucose-induced insulin secretion and glucose uptake mediated by insulin.

However magnesium supplementation has been shown to prevent insulin resistance induced fructose and reduce the development of diabetes in a mouse model of spontaneous type 2 diabetes. "