Diabetics have higher risks of developing Heart Disease

Heart disease has been the major cause of death among Malaysians for the past 5 decades.  The modifiable risk factors for heart disease are associated with an unhealthy lifestyle, with one of the major factors being sustained high blood sugar level or diabetes. Heart disease and stroke are two of the most important health risks for people with diabetes.

  • Heart disease strikes people with diabetes almost twice as often as people who don't have diabetes.
  • People with diabetes tend to develop heart disease at a younger age than people without diabetes.
  • Two out of three people with diabetes die from either heart disease or stroke.
Diabetes occurs because of defects in the body’s ability to produce or use insulin—a hormone required to convert blood sugar or glucose into energy. If the pancreas doesn't make enough insulin or if cells do not respond efficiently to insulin, blood sugar levels get too high, which can lead to serious chronic health problems.

In 2011, our National Health and Morbidity Survey showed that 15.1% of the population is diabetic equating to 2.6 million Malaysians.  Shockingly, authorities believe the realistic figure could be doubled as for every diabetic person reported, there is another one undiagnosed.  

The Diabetes & Dietary Fiber Intake Connection

Oats, especially oat bran, consist of exceptional amounts of a unique soluble dietary fiber known as beta-glucan.  The health benefits of beta-glucan have been extensively studied, with the most well-known benefit is to lower blood cholesterol, thereby reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases.  But there is so much more to oat beta-glucan, and now many health professionals promote its inclusion in diets for individuals suffering from or are at-risk for type 2-diabetes. For instance, studies conducted by Harvard University on male health professionals and female nurses both found that a diet high in cereal fiber was linked to a lower risk of Type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, the same study also found that a diet low in cereal fiber and rich in high glycemic-index foods (which cause big spikes in blood sugar) doubled the risk of Type 2 diabetes 1 .

Managing Diabetes with Oat Beta-Glucan

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has concluded that the consumption of oat beta-glucan contributes to the reduction of the glucose rise after a meal. The Malaysian Ministry of Health also approves the health claim: “oat soluble fiber (beta-glucan) helps to lower the rise of blood glucose, provided it is not consumed with other food.”

The mechanisms of which oat beta-glucan are shown to aid in managing diabetes include:

  1. Oat beta-glucan slows down the increase in blood sugar level after a meal by delaying gastric emptying. When oat beta-glucan within a meal is digested, it forms a gel which makes the contents of the stomach and the small intestine more viscous. Through this, digestion is delayed and the uptake of carbohydrates into the blood stream takes longer thus preventing sudden fluctuations in blood sugar levels.
  2. Positive glycemic response produced by ingesting oat beta-glucan has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity, which may prevent the incidence of Type 2 diabetes. A consistent decrease in insulin secretions was dose-dependently observed in overweight individuals in response to oat beta-glucan, with significant changes reported at a dose of at least 3.8g of oat beta-glucans in a meal 2 .
A daily intake of 3 – 5g beta-glucan from oats has been shown to help normalize blood sugar and reduce bad cholesterol effectively.  Research suggests that 80% of heart disease is preventable. It takes motivation, support and the determination to get oneself on track with a healthy lifestyle.

 

Start your prevention program today by adopting a healthy lifestyle and incorporating functional foods like Biogrow Oat BG22™ into your daily diet. Biogrow Oat BG22™ is made of oat bran powder imported from Sweden. Take 2 scoops (approx. 18g) a day will provide more than 3g of oat beta-glucan for optimal cholesterol-lowering effect.

Now, Biogrow Oat BG22™ is available in 30’s convenient travel pack -- makes it much easier for people who are always on-the-go to achieve the 3 g recommended daily intake of oat beta-glucan for optimal cholesterol-lowering benefit! Taking 2 sachets (approx. 18 g) a day with cold or warm water will provide more than 3 g oat beta-glucan in order to help reduce cholesterol naturally.

This article is brought to you by Legosan (M) Sdn. Bhd. For more product information, please dial 03-7956 2220 or email your enquiry to info@biogrow.com.my .