Role of dietary fiber in treating and preventing

diabetes

H.M.C.P.K Herath

Introduction

• diabetes is a rapid growing public health issue• 347 million people worldwide are affected by

diabetes • Prevention and controlling diabetes is important.• Taking healthy diet is essential• In 1970s , Trowell suggested that dietary fiber may

play a role in diabetes. • More evidences to prove that dietary fiber can affect

in reducing diabetes risk.

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Dietary fiber

• Dietary fiber is

-highly complex substances

-human lack of enzymes to digest• Two types of dietary fiber

1.soluble – water soluble

eg: Inulin, pectin, bete-glucans

2.insoluble – water insoluble

eg: waxes, chitins, cellulose, hemicellulose

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Sources of dietary fiber

• Soluble fiber fruits(, plums,berries,banana,apple,pears

root tubers (sweet potato, onions)

Certain vegetables (broccoli, carrot)

Legumes (peas,soybean)

• Insoluble fiber

Whole grain foods

Wheat and corn bran

Legumes such as bean and peas

Nuts and seeds

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Health benefits of dietary fiber

high intakes of dietary fiber appear to be at significantly lower risk for developing

-diabetes

-coronary heart disease

-stroke

-hypertension

-obesity

-certain gastrointestinal diseases

-blood pressure

-serum cholesterol levels

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Diabetes Mellitus

• Diabetes is• Two types of diabetes

-type 1 diabetes

-type 2 diabetes

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Diabetes patients are in higher risk of

• heart disease and stroke

• As reduces the blood flow

nerve damages in feet

• Diabetes is among the leading causes of kidney failure • Diabetes can be cause of blindness

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Role of dietary fiber in treating and preventing diabetes

Blood glucose Plasma insulin Insulin sensitivity

High starch increases increases decreases

High fiber decreases No effect increases

• Fermentability

• Decreases subsequent hunger- weight management

• The dosage of insulin,

decreases by increasing fiber rich diet

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Soluble fiber

• Tend to slow the movement of food through the digestive system

• Dissolves to form a gel • Viscosity

-thickness of a solution

-resistance to flow• Thickens the inner layer of the intestine• Readily fermented in the colon into gases

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Soluble fiber reduces the rate of absorption of nutrients

The mechanism,• Dissolved soluble fiber traps nutrients inside its

gummy gel• Inside the gel, nutrients are less likely to reach the

wall of the intestine• So sugar is absorbed into the blood stream more

slowly.

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Insoluble fiber

• Tend to accelerate the movement of food through the digestive system.

• This provides a feeling of satiety, or fullness, which helps prevent overeating-

prevent over weight

• Lower fermentability

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Insoluble fiber helps to

• directly increase insulin sensitivity

-in healthy people

- in type 2 diabetes patients

- individuals with insulin resistance

• insoluble fiber associates in reducing diabetes risk

But the mechanism is not identified

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Glycemic index of food is important ina diabetes diet

foods with high glycemic index- digest and absorbs

quickly into the body

foods with low glycemic index – digest and absorbs

into the body more slowly

• diabetes patients should consume foods with low glycemic index

• Even though fiber is considered a complex carbohydrate, it does not raise blood glucose level.

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fiber intake

• high dietary fiber intake can be mainly obtained by increasing the consumption of legumes, fruits, vegetables and whole grain foods

• adults women should consume > 25 grams of dietary fiber per day

• Adult men should consume >38g of dietary fiber per day

• for children is that intake should equal age in years plus 5 g/day - Academy of nutrient and dietetics

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sdThank you