Increased consumption of fiber-rich whole grain foods can reduce incidence of type 2 diabetes and the costs associated with its treatment in Finland, a recent study by the University of Eastern Finland and the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare concluded.
 
Observationally, research has concluded that type 2 diabetes (T2D) risk is mitigated by high fiber intake, and while Finnish men and women achieve relatively high intakes of fiber compared to other countries, a majority of Finnish people fail to meet recommended daily intakes of dietary fiber, the authors, writing in Nutrients, said.
 
“Our study shows that already one serving of full grains as part of the daily diet reduces the incidence of type 2 diabetes at the population level and, consequently, the direct diabetes-related costs, when compared to people who did not eat whole grain foods on a daily basis,” Janne Martikainen, professor from the University of Eastern Finland, said. “Over the next ten years, society’s potential to achieve cost savings would be from 300 million (-3.3%) to almost one billion (-12.2%) euros in current value, depending on the presumed proportion of whole grain foods in the daily diet. On the level of individuals, this means more healthier years.”
 
The data for the study was sourced from Finnish adults from multiple national databases, who were evaluated for health statuses (No T2D, T2D, T2D with complications, and death) which was cross-referenced with a questionnaire evaluating type 2 diabetes risk based on a number of factors including daily consumption of whole grains. From this, the researchers established an economic model.
 
They found that one third of Finns do not even eat one dose of whole grains on a daily basis, and two-thirds have an insufficient fiber intake, research manager Jaana Lindstrom from the Finnish Institute of Health and Welfare, said.
 
“By combining population-level data on the incidence of type 2 diabetes and the costs of its treatment, as well as published evidence on the effects of how consumption of the whole grain foods reduces the incidence of type 2 diabetes, we were able to assess the potential health and economic benefits from both social and individual viewpoints,” Martikainen said.