Dietary Substitutions for Refined Carbohydrate That Show Promise for Reducing Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in Men and Women1–3

Abstract

Both genetics and lifestyle contribute to type 2 diabetes (T2D), a condition of elevated circulating glucose induced by a collection of metabolic defects including peripheral insulin resistance, elevated hepatic glucose output, and impaired pancreatic insulin secretion. Because the prevalence of T2D and its modifiable risk factors (overweight/obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and physical inactivity) have been increasing in recent decades, there has been growing interest in lifestyle interventions that target T2D management and prevention. Although it is increasingly recognized that lifestyle interventions aimed at encouraging physical activity and reducing body weight can improve insulin sensitivity, nutritional contributions to T2D risk reduction are less clear. Evidence from prospective cohort and randomized controlled trials suggests that diets rich in refined dietary carbohydrate [particularly those with a high glycemic index (GI)] may elevate T2D risk; however, the appropriate combination of macronutrients to optimize metabolic health has not been fully described. To date, the collective evidence suggests that diets rich in low-GI carbohydrates, cereal fiber, resistant starch, fat from vegetable sources (unsaturated fat), and lean sources of protein should be emphasized, whereas refined sugars and grains (high-GI carbohydrates) are to be avoided in order to lower risk of T2D and its related risk factors and comorbidities.

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd), from Nutritional Value to Potential Health Benefits: An Integrative Review

“…A higher intake of vegetables is associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, due to their high unsaturated fat content, which is associated with lower inflammation [24,25].…”

“…Greater consumption of fiber-rich whole grains is associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes [24] and cardiovascular disease [28]. Quinoa is an excellent source of dietary fiber, comprising about 2.6%-10% of the total weight of the grain; about 78% of its fiber content is insoluble and 22% soluble [3,5,17,27,29].…”

The Effects of Different High-Protein Low-Carbohydrates Proprietary Foods on Blood Sugar in Healthy Subjects

“…4,50 Sweet foods are usually rich in refined CHO, have a high GI and are related with an increased risk for overweight, obesity 51 and Type 2 DM. 52 Type 2 DM (T2DM) is increasing among young people 53 and a dietary management is the most important factor to be considered to prevent the progression of impaired glucose tolerance to clinical DM. The dietary management is also important to minimize the glycemic variability, which is the measure of the of blood sugar concentration changes over time.…”

Evaluation of the impact of orally administered carbohydrates on postprandial blood glucose levels in different pre-clinical models

“…It is widely recognized that higher peak postprandial glucose (PPG) levels are associated with type 2 diabetes (Maki, Phillips, 2015), obesity (Thomas, Elliott, Baur, 2007), cardiovascular diseases (Little et al, 2014), liver steatosis (Valtueña et al, 2006), and cancer (Esfahani et al, 2009). Several studies have shown that consuming a diet with a low glycemic index (GI) can reduce insulin resistance (König et al, 2014), blood lipid concentrations (Levitan et al, 2008), body weight (Krebs et al, 2013), and the levels of glycated hemoglobin (Wang et al, 2015a) and pro-inflammatory markers (Feliciano, das Graças, Alfenas, 2014) in blood.…”