Grains For Diabetes

Diabetes refers to a situation where the body loses its capacity to naturally produce the required levels of insulin in the body. The sugar levels in the blood then soar quite high as the glucose does not get absorbed into the tissues of the body. This common ailment, diabetes mellitus, can be of two types; type I and type II diabetes mellitus. Apart from medication, and in some cases, insulin shots, if you have diabetes, your diet will play a major factor in both treatment and management of the condition.

A diabetic person needs to eat foods that are rich in fiber and low in simple sugars or carbohydrates and fats. Many studies that have been conducted on diabetic persons after submitting them to various diet foods show that fatty foods can result in the onset of diabetes, while complex fibers help in maintaining the sugar levels in the bloodstream.

A diabetic person will greatly benefit from a diet menu that contains more of soluble and insoluble fiber.

Grains provide most of the fiber requirement for diabetes. Grains are the seeds of any plant of the grass variety and can be used for human consumption. They are referred to as cereals as well, like breakfast cereals. Oats, rice, wheat, barley, and maize are examples of grains that are eaten as food. Sprouted grain is a highly healthy food for diabetes as the overall nutritional content in the grain is increased. Sprouted grains also contain a large amount of enzymes that are responsible for good health in diabetes patients. Sprouted grains yield an increased level of albumin and globulin, fiber, vitamins, especially the B vitamins, and minerals, which blend with the proteins.

Whole Grains For Diabetics

Whole grains are gradually replacing refined and processed grains in our daily diet with the rise in health awareness. This is because whole grains provide nutrition from its germ, endosperm, and bran, unlike processed grains that contribute merely from their endosperm. Whole grains like brown rice and oatmeal can be included in a diabetic’s diet. The presence of whole grains in a diabetic’s diet provides fiber, vitamin E, B vitamins, minerals, essential phytochemicals, and proteins. Eating whole grain bread for diabetes is considered beneficial in stabilizing the blood sugar levels.

Whole grains, when included in a person’s diet, also help in diabetes prevention. They also reduce the risk of cardiac diseases and even certain kinds of cancers. Whole grain bread gives the benefit of the entire grain and allays the onset of diabetes and other coronary illnesses. The increased content of dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phenolic compounds bring down the risk of diabetes and other ailments.

Whole grain pasta is a tastier food choice for diabetes. The magnesium present in the whole grain enhances the body’s response to the insulin hormone. This can result in a lowering of sugar levels in the bloodstream. Whole grain pasta can be had with vegetables or polished off with some cheese and brown rice. Care should be exercised not to enrich the pasta with more fatty foods. Whole grain pasta can also be added to pasta made of semolina, so that it mitigates the strong nutty flavor of the whole grains.

Cereal Grains For Diabetics

An ideal breakfast menu includes cereal grains for diabetics as it provides all essential nutrients as a wholesome meal. Cereal grains are rich in vitamins and minerals along with proteins. Cereal grains like oatmeal, barley, brown rice, or wheat berries are a good choice as breakfast cereals. They are an excellent storehouse of energy that is a requisite to counter diabetes. While choosing cereal grains, avoid the hydrogenated oils or trans fats as much as possible. An area of ongoing research in association with diabetes is the effect of cereal grains and legumes on the blood sugar levels. It has been noted that people who eat at least three servings of whole grain cereals depict a lowered risk of encountering type 2 diabetes mellitus. A good start in this direction is to commence eating cereal grains for breakfast.

Legumes like peas, beans, or lentils are also considered to be a healthy choice for a diabetic person’s diet menu. Legumes are believed to release carbohydrates at a very slow pace into the blood stream. This helps to prevent any sudden surge in the glucose levels in the blood. Legumes are also high in fiber that is an essential criterion for a diabetic diet menu. Thus, legumes and cereal grains can have a positive effect on diabetes and keep it in check. Cereal grains and legumes complement each other with the cereals providing methionine, an essential amino acid and legumes providing another essential amino acid, lysine. Thus, a diet comprising cereal grains and legumes help in the proper management and even prevention of diabetes.

Submitted on January 17, 2014