Wellness
THE FOOD PYRAMID,
used for years to help
Americans understand
how to eat a healthy,
well-balanced diet,
recently had a
makeover. MyPlate
is a new-generation
icon designed to get
people thinking about
building a healthy
plate at mealtimes.
The new MyPlate icon
emphasizes fruits,
vegetables, grains,
protein and dairy.
Learn more at
www
.choosemyplate.gov
.
Eating more fber may have health benefts
beyond aiding digestion. A high-fber diet
appears to help men reduce the risk for
developing type 2 diabetes, according to
a British study. Research has shown that a
high-fber diet can help lower the risk for
type 2 diabetes, but it hasn’t been clear why.
The British study surveyed more than
3,400 men, mostly in their 60s and 70s. The
men answered detailed questions about their
diet and lifestyle. They also underwent blood
tests to check for diabetes, liver function,
infammation levels and other conditions.
Researchers found that the men who ate
less than 20 grams of fber daily had the
highest risk for diabetes. Those who ate
more fber not only had a lower diabetes
risk, they also had healthier livers and
lower levels of infammation.
Infammation is the body’s response to
damage from infection and injury. It can
be measured by the amount of certain
proteins and other substances in the
blood. Both high levels of infammation
and poor liver function have been linked
to type 2 diabetes.
Diabetes Care, Vol. 32, No. 10
Dietary
fber
may
lower
men’s
risk for
diabetes
Think
plate
instead of pyramid
For a list
of fber-rich
foods,
visit www
.peacehealth
.org/fber.
10
Health Connection