Eating millet can prevent diabetes! ? Japanese Meta-analysis

Millet, also known as "Ji" in ancient times, is one of the oldest crops in the world. A recent meta-analysis of multiple countries including Japan showed that millet is more helpful in preventing and treating type 2 diabetes than other grains.

Studies have shown that eating millet for a long time can help lower blood sugar levels in diabetic patients, with fasting blood sugar reduced by an average of 12% and postprandial blood sugar reduced by 15%.

In addition, the glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) of prediabetic patients who regularly ate millet also decreased from 6.7% to 5.7%.

The researchers also found that whether steaming or roasting, it increases the glycemic index of food.

However, minimally cooked millet is still 30% better at lowering the glycemic index in a meal than refined rice and flour.

The glycemic index is an indicator used to measure the effect of carbohydrates in food on blood sugar concentration.

Researchers believe that the reduction in blood sugar levels may be related to the formation of resistant starch in millet and the high fiber content that delays starch hydrolysis. In addition, the high dietary fiber and other non-starch polysaccharides contained in millet can reduce the activity of related enzymes in the intestines and indirectly delay the increase in blood sugar.

Moreover, compared with corn, rice and white flour, millet has a lower glycemic index.

The average glycemic index of millet is 52.7, which is 36% lower than that of refined rice (71.7) and refined flour (71.7).

For this study, the researchers analyzed 65 published studies involving approximately 1,000 participants.

Researchers believe that patients with diabetes and prediabetes, as well as those without diabetes, should eat more whole grains and eat millet frequently.

China's Guidelines for Healthy Lifestyle to Prevent Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases recommend that the average adult consume 250 to 400 g of cereals and tubers per day, including 50 to 150 g of whole grains and beans, and 50 to 100 g of tubers.

It is recommended to have cereals at every meal, and to match coarse and fine grains when cooking, such as rice with brown rice, whole grains (millet, corn and oats, etc.) and whole beans (adzuki beans, mung beans and kidney beans, etc.).

Source: China Circulation Magazine