Fiber-rich grains tied to lower diabetes risk

People who eat a diet high in fiber-rich whole grains are less likely to develop diabetes or heart disease, according to a review of past studies. The analysis was conducted for the American Society for Nutrition. In a position statement, the group said evidence suggests foods with cereal fiber or mixtures of whole grains and bran are "modestly associated" with a reduced disease risk. The strongest evidence for benefit came from cereal fiber, researchers said. That would include breakfast cereals as well as breads and brown rice with a high fiber content listed on the label, according to Teresa Fung, a nutrition researcher at Simmons College in Boston. "Cereal fiber may be one of the protective ingredients of whole grains that contribute to lower disease risk," Lu Qi, one of the study's authors from the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, told Reuters Health in an email. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_138381.html