Fiber foods in diabetes
Medically Reviewed by Dr Sravya, MBBS, MS
Fiber is advantageous for many reasons, one of which is it plays a crucial role in managing diabetes. Diabetics must be particular about
their diet as it is essential to maintain their blood sugar levels. One of the key ways to control their glucose levels is by taking fiber-rich foods.
This fiber food in diabetes also helps to maintain a healthy weight, reduces cholesterol, and decreases the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that our body can’t digest. Though most of the carbohydrates are broken down to sugar molecules, it is passed as undigested. Fiber helps to regulate body sugar usage, helping to keep hunger and blood sugar in check. Nearly, children’s and adults daily requirement is 25-35 grams per day. New research finds that a high-fiber diet like shredded wheat helps to combat type 2 diabetes.
We need fiber in our diet because of its amazing health benefits.
- Healthy weight loss
- Weight maintenance
- Lowers diabetes risk
- Lowers odds of heart disease
- Increase gut flora
- Reduce the risk of cancers
- Improves longer life
- More regular bowel movements
- All-natural detox
- Stronger bones
- Helps lower blood pressure
- Diverticulitis – pouching pockets in the colon called diverticula when get stuck with food particles, it leads to inflammation by bacteria. This can be lowered with a fiber diet.
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Kidney stones
- Regulates water balance in the body
- Absorbs and neutralises radioactive substances
Types of fibers
It is important to know there are two types of fiber, each behaving very differently.
Soluble fiber
Soluble fiber is found in foods such as oat bran, nuts seeds, beans, lentils, fruits, and some veggies. Soluble fiber soaks up water and
dissolves creating a gel that moves slowly through the digestive tract. This type of fiber helps to bulk up stool and prevents constipation. It
reduces cholesterol and cuts the risk of heart disease and atherosclerosis. Soluble fiber adsorbs bile acid and cholesterol, aiding their excretion from the body. Soluble fiber travels through the stomach and intestines slowly because of its viscosity, reducing hunger and
preventing overeating. It suppresses spikes in sugar after eating by slowing the absorption of sugar.
Insoluble fiber
Diabetes occurs throughout pregnancy. Gestational diabetes generally occurs during pregnancy. When the body is not utilizing the sugar properly. Insulin is a hormone produced with the aid of a body duct called the pancreas that helps maintain blood sugar levels. When a woman conceives, her physique goes through varying changes, and the body also changes the way insulin is produced as compared to non-pregnant women, which ultimately increases blood sugar levels. If nourishment and physical activity are not enough to manipulate blood sugar degrees, insulin therapy can be essential to modify blood sugar stages and avoid complications for both the mom and the child. Insulin therapy seems to be normally safe for pregnant women and infants when prescribed as directed by a doctor. However, numerous medicinal drugs could lead to side effects, which include hypoglycemia, which is a low blood glucose level, weight gain, and injections. To avoid complications, your doctor will work with you to screen your blood sugar levels and regulate your insulin dosage as desired.
What does fiber food do in diabetic people?
Fiber influences diabetes in two ways, by showing its action on glycemic index and absorption of sugar. The glycemic index is a way to classify foods that influence our blood sugar. Foods with high glycemic index surprise blood sugar levels. Fruits with high glycemic load slow the digestion of sugars and reduce blood sugar levels because of their fiber, even though they contain natural sugars. Fiber foods in diabetes gives the feeling of fullness. This automatically limits the intake of other carbohydrates during each meal. In this way, fibers reduce diabetes by inhibiting carbohydrate metabolism and preventing absorption into the bloodstream. In this way, best fiber food content benefits prediabetic and diabetic people.
List of high-fiber foods
Fruits
- Raspberries
- Pear
- Apple with skin
- Banana
- Orange
- Strawberries
Vegetables
- Boiled green peas
- Boiled broccoli
- Baked potato with skin
- Boiled sweetcorn
- Raw cauliflower
- Raw carrot
- Green leafy vegetables
- Boiled turnip
Grains
- Whole wheat
- Spaghetti
- Bran flakes
- Cooked quinoa
- Oat bran muffin
- Instant cooked oatmeal
- Air-popped popcorn
- Cooked brown rice
- What bread/brown bread
- Legumes, nuts and seeds
- Boiled split peas
- Boiled lentils
- Boiled black beans
- Baked beans
- Chia seeds
- Almonds
- Pistachios
- Sunflower kernels
How to improve a fiber diet?
While starting to increase dietary intake of fiber food in diabetes, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends:
- Increase the fiber intake gradually to avoid gas or bloating
- Drinking more water helps things move through your digestive tract
- Getting fiber by knowing different types of food
- Read the labels on the nutrition facts panel to find the highest fiber products
- Incorporate a wide variety of fiber foods that contain both soluble and insoluble types
- Avoid processed and refined foods
Conclusion
A high-fiber diet is vital to prevent and manage diabetes. Eating a high-fiber diet is important throughout the day. Studies have shown that
increasing the intake of high-fiber foods or fiber supplements particularly soluble type improves metabolic health. This fiber-rich food offers
numerous benefits like improving glycemic control, reducing glucose spikes, decreasing hyperinsulinemia, lowering of plasma lipid
concentrations, and weight management in diabetics. In this way, taking fiber food in diabetes helps the diabetics.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Whole grains
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Seeds
- Nuts
- peas
- beans
Soluble fiber seen in avocados, black beans, lima beans, apples,
bananas, oats, peas, etc. is good for diabetes.
Diabetics can have at least 14 grams of fiber daily as per American
Diabetes Association.
They are recommended to take lean protein, low-fat dairy, and plenty of
fiber like cereals, whole fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
All types of fruits can be taken for prediabetes. However, people with
certain recommendations are recommended to avoid pomegranate and
grape juice. Better to avoid canned fruit and fruit juice as they may have
more sugar.