You’ve no doubt heard that
it’s a good idea to eat more
fibre when you have diabetes.
But not all fibres are the same.
While all types of fibre have
health benefits, and it’s beneficial
to have a variety of high-fibre
foods in your diet, some forms
of fibre have particular benefits
when it comes to managing
diabetes. Let’s discuss.
What are beta-glucans?
Beta-glucans are a type of soluble
fibre found naturally in the
cell wall of grains, mainly oats
and barley. Smaller amounts
are found in certain types of
mushroom (e.g. reishi, shiitake
and maitake), yeasts, seaweed
and algae.Why are beta-glucans
important if I have
diabetes?
Beta-glucans have been
shown to help with lowering
both blood glucose levels and
cholesterol levels, both of which
are important when you have
diabetes. By keeping bloodDL dietitian & diabetes educator Dr Kate Marsh discusses one type of
fibre, beta-glucans, and why it’s worth adding these to your eating plan
glucose and cholesterol levels
in check, you can lower the risk
of developing diabetes-related
complications, including heart
disease.How do beta-glucans
lower blood glucose
levels?
When you eat beta-glucan-
containing foods, the beta-
glucans form a thick gel. This
gel coats the inside of your small
intestine, which slows down
the absorption of carbohydrate
from your meal. This is why
several studies have shown that
consuming beta-glucans before,
or with, a meal reduces the rise in
blood glucose levels after eating.
Others have shown reductions
in fasting blood glucose levels
and HbA1c (a measure of your
average glucose levels over the
past 2-3 months) when beta-
glucans are included in the
diet regularly.AND DIABETES
Beta-glucans