Does a diet high in fibre help manageblood sugar levels 2023 Reduce sugar is the catchphrase heard frequently tomanage diabetes, so much sothat as the festive seasonapproaches, sweet shops arebringing out low sugardelicacies. ‘Natural’, ‘no sugar’and ‘diabetic friendly’ optionsabound a testament to thestaggering numbers India isdealing with.What happens though, whenyou add a significant quantityof fibre to your diet when youhave diabetes? A surveyattempted to find the answer. ‘STAR’(Survey forManagement of Diabetes withFibre rich Nutrition Drink), apan India survey, wasconducted amongst 3,042people with Type 2 diabetes,the results were published inthe Indian Journal of ClinicalPractice in August. The survey categorised people with diabetes into twogroups: one group thatconsumed medical grade high fibre supplement for aminimum of three months, andthe other group that did not. It found that people withdiabetes who took thesupplement, reportedsignificantly lower HbA1C(blood sugar) levels and higherweight loss, along with feelingsof satiety, compared to thosewho did not consume thesupplement. The survey was supportedby Hindustan Unilever, acompany that sells health fooddrinks. Increasing the fibre in yourdiet to manage diabetes isnothing new: studies acrossthe world have shown the roleof fibre in not just controllingblood glucose, but alsolowering cholesterol, andmaintaining digestive health.Because the body cannotabsorb and break down fibre,it helps with a slow, sustainedrelease of energy, preventing aspike in blood sugar levels. Italso helps your gutmicrobiome, and increasesyour feeling of being ‘full.’The problem is, says SanjayKalra, president, South AsianFederation of EndocrineSocieties and lead author of thesurvey, most people withdiabetes do not get therequired amount of fibre. The Research Society forStudy of Diabetes in India(RSSDI), in its Clinical PracticeRecommendations 2022 formedical nutrition therapy,states that fibre intake shouldbe 25 to 40 grams per day,while carbohydrates should belimited to 5060% of totalcalories. However, in Indian diet,carbohydrates are 70 to 80%,says Dr. Kalra. “This is was notan issue earlier, with traditionaldiets that relied on wholegrains. Now fibre consumptionhas decreased whilecarbohydrate remains the same. What is concerning, is that a lotof the carbohydrates are fromultraprocessed food.” What constitutes fibre?According to an article on theCenters for Disease Control andPrevention’s website, fibre issoluble and insoluble. Both havehealth benefits. Soluble fibre dissolves inwater and slows down digestion.It helps control blood sugar andcholesterol. It is found in fruitslike apples, bananas and guavas,and in oats, peas, carrots, blackbeans, kidney beans and figs. The other kind, insolublefibre, does not dissolve, andtypically remains whole as itpasses through your stomach. Itsupports insulin sensitivity andhelps keep your bowels healthy.It is found in whole wheat flour,nuts, seeds, lentil and vegetableslike cauliflower.The cost factorFruits, vegetables and nuts aremore expensive compared tocarbohydrates, points out NihalThomas, senior professor,department of endocrinology,diabetes and metabolism,Christian Medical College,Vellore. This, he said, makes healthydiets unaffordable for a largenumber of people in the countrywho rely on cheaper, carb heavyfoods, thereby contributing tothe diabetes burden 10.13 crorepeople in our country of 140crore could potentially bediabetic, as per latest estimates.Prof Thomas called for policychanges to make healthier foodsmore affordable. Incorporating in the diet25 to 40 grams of fibre perday may sound daunting,especially when you realise thatone medium apple, with its skin,has only about 3 to 4 grams offibre. The idea, says the CDC, is tospread your fibre intake amongdifferent foods throughout theday. This may perhaps meanincorporating oats and nuts intoyour breakfast, opting for wholegrains, choosing non starchyvegetables and snacking onseeds. But it also cautions peopleto make this move slowly: toomuch fibre too soon, can lead tobloating and constipation.