A recent study found that diabetics who add foods like beans and nuts to their diet lower their cholesterol, raise their HDL (“good cholesterol”), and control their blood sugar better than those who concentrated only on switching from refined grains to whole grains.

David Jenkins and his team at the University of Toronto randomly assigned 210 patients with Type 2 diabetes to either a low-glycemic diet or a high-cereal, high-fiber diet. Those in the low-glycemic group were encouraged to eat beans, peas, lentils, pasta, nuts, and oatmeal, among other foods, while the high-cereal/fiber group ate “brown foods” such as whole grain cereal, brown rice, and potatoes with the skins on. Both groups saw improvements in markers for disease risk, but the low-glycemic group saw greater gains.

We’re neither surprised nor disappointed in the results. Oldways and the Whole Grains Council have always championed the importance of eating an array of healthy, real foods, that have not been highly processed. In my next incarnation, in fact, I would like to spearhead a move to encourage eating more beans, which are vastly overlooked in the American diet. (Email me if you want my favorite bean recipes.)

The take-away lessons from this study are:

• Either diet is better for you than the typical high-glycemic refined-grains diet.
• Combining both – whole grains with other healthy foods – is the best approach of all.

(Cynthia – Source: JAMA, 2008 Dec 17;300(23):2742-53.)