Eat Bread, Fight Diabetes

Not just any bread. Eat the hearty whole-grain breads -- and cereals, pastas, pilafs, et al. -- that heart experts are so high on.

Not only are whole-grain foods much more nutritious and fiber-rich than processed white-flour products, but a new study shows they may help fight factors that can lead to diabetes, from blood sugar spikes to overeating. If you're even remotely at risk for diabetes, aim for about 6 servings of whole grains daily. Yes, tuna salad on whole wheat counts -- 2 servings.

Whole grains are crammed with fiber, B vitamins, and minerals (selenium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorous, manganese, iron, and zinc). This potent combination of nutrients helps regulate blood sugar and insulin, curb appetite, control cholesterol, and lower homocysteine, a substance strongly linked with heart disease, according to a major new study of almost 1,000 men and women. No wonder nutritionists have been chanting the whole-grain mantra for years. But now diabetes experts are chanting along with them.

Whole grains, bran, and germ in relation to homocysteine and markers of glycemic control, lipids, and inflammation. Jensen, M. K., Koh-Banerjee, P., Franz, M., Sampson, L., Gronbaek, M., Rimm, E. B., The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2006 Feb;83(2):275-283.