Diabetes is the fastest growing chronic condition worldwide. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 9.3 % of the U.S. population have diabetes. By 2035 the number of adults having diabetes will increase from 387 to 592 million worldwide. Diet, exercise and behavioral approaches represent the key for management and prevention of diabetes. Many studies have now shown that consumption of dietary fibers is inversely related to type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Consumption of more than 26 g a day had an 18 % lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those with the lowest intake
Psyllium is a water-soluble fiber that improves glycemic control, body weight and improve bowel movement in patients with type 2 diabetes.
In this study forty type 2 diabetes patients, non-smoker, aged more than 35 years were randomly assigned into two groups; The intervention group which consists of 20 participants was given 10.5g of soluble fiber daily, and the control group which consist of 20 participants continued on their regular diet for eight weeks duration.
After 8 weeks of intervention, soluble fiber supplementation showed significant reduction in the intervention group in body mass index when compared with the control group. Moreover, water soluble fiber supplementation lowered fasting blood sugar from 163 to 119 mg/dl and all other blood parameters measured (HbA1c (8.5 to 7.5 %-oxidation), insulin level (27.9 to 19.7 μIU/mL), C-peptide (5.8 to 3.8 ng/ml – inflammation), HOMA.IR (11.3 to 5.8) and HOMA-β % (103 to 141 %).
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