2. Diabetes
Fiber intake appears to stabilize blood sugar levels and lower insulin demand by various mechanisms, including slowing absorption of nutrients during digestion. In clinical studies, diets high in fiber are associated with a reduced incidence of Type 2 diabetes — the most common form of the disease, which occurs when the body becomes resistant to insulin, the hormone that signals tissues to take glucose from the bloodstream. Eventually this can lead overstimulated insulin-producing cells to cease functioning. But even insulin-dependent Type 1 diabetes responds to fiber: The journal Diabetologia reported a study in which Type 1 diabetes patients who ate 50 grams of fiber a day for 24 weeks significantly improved glycemic control.
