Whole-Grain Foods and Postprandial Glycemia

Dietary recommendations for patients with diabetes include consumption of whole-grain foods. However, whole-grain foods differ in the extent to which they are processed: For example, wheat, brown rice, and oats can be finely milled or less processed. To examine whether these differences in processing translate into differences in glycemia, researchers conducted this randomized, crossover trial that involved 31 patients with type 2 diabetes (mean age, 63; mean glycosylated hemoglobin [HbA_1c], 7.5%).

Patients were provided either with less-processed whole grains (i.e., intact oats, brown rice, and whole-grain bread made with coarsely ground flour and cracked wheat kernels) or with more-processed whole grains (i.e., instant oats, brown rice pas…