Type 2 Diabetes - Are Whole Grain Oats Helpful in Controlling Blood Sugar and Cholesterol Levels?

According to a September 2016 report published in the journal Nutrients, dietary whole grain oats are helpful for lowering blood sugar, blood lipids, and weight in people who have been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Investigators at Peking University in Beijing, China, divided the number of Type 2 diabetics into four groups...

• sixty participants received the usual care only,
• seventy-nine diabetics received a healthy low-fat, high-fiber diet,
• eighty of the diabetics received a healthy eating plan with 50-grams of oats instead of their usual cereal,
• seventy-nine received a healthy diet with 100-grams of oats instead of their usual cereal

After thirty days the following significant changes were seen in the different groups...

1. The "50-grams of oats group" compared to the healthy diet group...

• lower after-meal blood sugar readings,
• lower total blood cholesterol levels,
• lower low-density cholesterol (LDL or "bad" cholesterol), and
• lower blood fats.

2. The "100-grams of oats" group compared to the 50 grams group...

• a greater reduction in after-meal blood sugar levels than the 50-gram group,
• a more significant decrease in total cholesterol,
• a more significant reduction in insulin resistance,
• a more significant decrease in low-density cholesterol.

Among 298 overweight Type 2 diabetics, the 100-gram individuals had the highest weight loss after one year.

From these results, the researchers concluded there is a reason to recommend whole grain oats to people diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.

Whole grains are the ones least processed. Rolled oats are somewhat processed but still whole. A half cup of uncooked whole grain oats, with about 300 calories, supplies the following percentage of the recommended daily requirements (RDAs) for...

• fiber: slows down carbohydrate absorption by 33%
• iron: necessary for building red blood cells - 20%
• calcium: builds bones - 4%
• thiamin: B vitamin, helps turn carbohydrates to energy - 40%
• riboflavin: B vitamin, red blood cell production - 6%
• niacin: B vitamin, helps digestive and nervous systems - 3%
• vitamin B6: builds red blood cells - 4%
• folate: B vitamin, builds red blood cells - 11%
• pantothenic acid: B vitamin, helps some enzymes - 10%

One cup of dried rolled oats becomes two cups when cooked in water. Boil a half cup of rolled oats in water and add some cinnamon for an even more anti-diabetic benefit. Add a little stevia, some blueberries or almonds, and you are all set for a good morning.

A quarter cup of soymilk fortified with vitamins A and D and calcium will provide the following percentage of the RDAs of...

• vitamin A: vision - 2%
• calcium: 2%
• iron: 1%
• vitamin D: builds bones - 6%
• thiamin: 1%
• riboflavin: 6%
• niacin: 1%
• vitamin B6: 1%
• folate: 1%
• vitamin B12: especially important for vegans, builds red blood cells - 8%
• pantothenic acid: 3%

Although managing your disease can be very challenging, Type 2 diabetes is not a condition you must just live with. You can make simple changes to your daily routine and lower both your weight and your blood sugar levels. Hang in there, the longer you do it, the easier it gets.