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

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

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

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
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

the

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 overeatingprevent 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 in

a 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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sd
Thank you

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