Eating legumes more often can reduce the risk of heart disease and help control blood glucose levels in people with type 2 diabetes, according to a report published in the Archives of Internal Medicine review.
Research author Dr. David JA Jenkins of the University of Toronto, Canada, made this conclusion after looking at the results of a study of 121 diabetics who consumed at least 190 grams of low-GI legumes or high-fiber whole grains daily for three months.
Foods with a low glycemic index are those that raise blood sugar more slowly, thus affecting the amount of insulin produced. In addition to legumes, they include, among others peaches, apples, onions and garlic, asparagus, sprouts, sunflower seeds and nuts.
A diet rich in legumes reduced the level of HbA1c (one of the glycohemoglobin fractions) by 0,5%, and a diet rich in fiber by 0,3%. With properly controlled diabetes, the HbA1c level should not exceed 6,5 percent. In addition, in the first group of patients, a reduction in the risk of developing coronary heart disease was observed by lowering systolic blood pressure.
The incidence of type 2 diabetes is growing fastest among urban populations in countries where legume consumption was high until recently (including residents of India and South America or the Pima Indians from Arizona), write the authors of the report.
It would be reasonable to continue these nutritional traditions and promote the presence of legumes in the Western diet, even if their impact on blood glucose levels is relatively low, they add. (PAP)
- Are you diabetic? We recommend BIO Pea Protein Powder. You can also support your immunity and order the Vitama Nature Diabetes Complex.
blanket / agt /