Have type 2 diabetes? Here’s a novel new way to control your blood sugar–add canola oil to your diet.
New research headed by Dr. David Jenkins from the St. Michael’s Hospital Clinical Nutrition and Risk Factor Modification Centre in Toronto reveals that type 2 diabetics who added canola oil to their diet had lower blood sugar–a health benefit that could reduce the risk of diabetes complications.
The new findings are published in the health journal Diabetes Care.
“The reduction in LDL cholesterol observed in [our] study of 141 people could translate into a 7 per cent reduction in cardiovascular events,” says Jenkins. “The benefit could also be translated into an additional 20mg dose of one of the cholesterol-reducing drugs known as statins–a doubling of a standard dose.”
Details of the Study
Canola oil, now widely available in supermarkets, was first developed in the 1970s from rapeseed particles, the name itself a combination of the words oil and Canada. Comparatively, this oil contains around half the amount of fat found in olive oil, an oil commonly purported to have many health effects.
This oil, however, is the only one scientifically demonstrated to have a profound impact on blood sugar.
Jenkins originally made these findings after recruiting 141 people to participate in a study looking into the effects of canola oil on type 2 diabetes. The participants were split into two groups–one whivh adhered to a whole wheat diet, and another group whivh consumed bread made with canola oil in combination with a low glycemic diet.
After the study period ended, Jenkins checked their blood glucose, and found that those who ate a diet supplemented with bread made from canola oil had lower blood glucose–even if their blood glucose was previously high.
However, it did not seem to help with improved blood flow, according to his findings.
“Patients on the whole wheat diet seemed to have better blood flow after 12 weeks than those on the canola bread diet, as measured by the EndoPat test that uses a cuff on the arm similar to a blood pressure test,” says Jenkins. “The significance of that finding was not entirely clear, but this positive result may be an indication of why whole wheat foods have consistently been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.”
Overall, experts theorize that combining both eating habits–that is, eating food made with canola oil and whole wheat products–could eventually aid in decreased bad cholesterol and blood glucose.
What You Should Do
Want to lower your blood glucose? Instead of depending on drugs, try cooking more foods with canola oil–as well as upping your intake of whole wheat products for a healthier heart as well.
Readers: What are some other ways you keep your blood glucose under control?
Sources:
Canola Bread Diet Experiences Reduction in Blood Glucose Levels – News-Medical.net
Canola Oil Cooking It Helps Type 2 Diabetes Patients Lower Blood Sugar – MedicalDaily.com
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