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Whole grains" such as brown rice and barley rice improve diabetes, sleep, and depression
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Eating "whole grains" such as whole grain bread, brown rice, sprouted brown rice, millet rice, and barley rice lowers the risk of diabetes and obesity.
Studies have also shown that a whole grain eating style can improve sleep and prevent depression.
Not All Carbohydrates Are Created Equal
Choosing the right carbohydrates and adjusting the amount of carbohydrates you eat is the best approach to controlling diabetes. Of the three macronutrients, carbohydrates are the ones that have the most immediate impact on blood sugar, so we need to be careful about how we consume them.
Eating refined flour or white rice, for example, may contain the same amount of carbohydrates, but because they contain less fiber, they are absorbed more quickly, leading to an increase in postprandial blood glucose." For diabetics who need to control their blood sugar, the recommendation is whole grains," says Carla Duenas.
Duenas is a dietitian with Baptist Health South Florida, a clinical care network with seven hospitals in the U.S. state of Florida. She stresses, "To achieve a healthy diet, whole grains should be included in the diet, along with high-quality protein, vegetables, and fruits."
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Whole grains are grains that have not had their hulls, seed skins, embryos, or endosperm removed by processing such as milling.
Many studies have shown that a diet rich in whole grains reduces the risk of diabetes, obesity, and heart disease more than a diet rich in refined grains.
Familiar whole grains include foods such as bread, pasta, and oatmeal made from whole wheat grains, brown rice, sprouted brown rice, millet rice, and barley rice containing barley.
Brown rice is a whole grain and rich in fiber. Although whole grains are not necessarily the best choice, replacing white rice with brown rice is recommended for people with diabetes or obesity," Duenas advises.
You get the fiber you tend to lack.
Carbohydrates can be divided into simple carbohydrates, which raise blood glucose levels quickly, and complex carbohydrates, which raise them slowly. Simple carbohydrates are those found in sweets and fruits, while complex carbohydrates are those found in grains, potatoes, beans, and other foods.
Complex carbohydrates take longer to be absorbed and raise blood glucose levels at a slower rate because they are broken down into simple carbohydrates before being digested and absorbed.
Complex carbohydrates are "healthy carbohydrates. Whole grains such as unrefined flour and brown rice have properties similar to complex carbohydrates. They are rich in nutrients that are often lacking, such as fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, which are lost during the refining process," Duenas points out.
Refined carbohydrates can also cause insomnia.
Thirty percent of adults suffer from insomnia, and part of the cause may be dietary style. Refined carbohydrates may increase the risk of insomnia in women, according to a study.
The study showed that postmenopausal women who eat junk foods and soft drinks, especially those high in carbohydrates, are more likely to develop insomnia.
Conversely, women who consume more fiber-rich fruits and vegetables have a decreased risk of insomnia.
The study was conducted by James Ganwish and colleagues from the Bagelos School of Medicine at Columbia University in the United States.
77,860 women were studied for three years.
Insomnia is often treated with pharmacotherapy and cognitive behavioral therapy, both of which are costly to the patient and expensive. Improving one's diet is low-cost, easy to implement, and free of side effects," says Ganwish.
The study is based on data from observational studies conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Women's Health Initiative Study (WHI) to obtain information to prevent and treat health problems among women.
The researchers examined the association between insomnia and 77,860 postmenopausal women who participated in the WHI. They surveyed them about their dietary habits and followed them for three years from 1997 to 2001.
The participants were analyzed by dividing them into five groups according to GI level, an index that indicates the ease with which blood glucose levels rise after a meal.
The results revealed a 16% higher risk of developing insomnia and an 11% higher prevalence in the group with higher dietary GI values. The study also found that the higher the intake of vegetables and fruits, the lower the risk of insomnia.
The study also found a lower risk of developing depression.
The study found that "a spike in blood glucose levels after a meal stimulates the secretion of insulin, which lowers blood glucose, and may lead to a state of hyperinsulinemia. As a result, blood glucose levels drop and the secretion of hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol increases, which may disrupt sleep," explains Ganwish.
The foods that trigger insomnia may be processed foods that contain high levels of isomerized sugar, which is composed of fructose and glucose. Such foods are not found in nature, but are mass-produced industrially and sold cheaply.
Fruits also contain fructose, but they are also rich in fiber. Fruits have a low GI and are thought to be less likely to cause postprandial blood sugar elevation.
A study of 69,954 women who participated in the WHI, published by Ganwish and colleagues in 2015, also showed that women who ate a high GI diet had a 22% higher risk of developing depression.
Gunwish noted, "We need randomized clinical trials to determine the benefits of improving diet and increasing intake of whole grains and complex carbohydrates to prevent and treat insomnia and depression."
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