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Can a wholegrain diet contribute to weight loss and lower blood sugar levels in people with overweight and obesity? In a new doctoral thesis, researcher Sebastian Åberg presents three different studies that examined the effects on appetite, body weight and blood sugar when foods made using sifted wheat are replaced with products that use wholegrain rye.
The first study was conducted in 2018 and 2019 in New Zealand, with a group of 28 people who had diabetes and an elevated BMI. During the study, participants were allowed to eat wholegrain products such as bread, porridge, pasta and rice, replacing finely ground wholegrain flour products with those that were more coarsely ground or even had whole kernels. “The results showed that products with more intact kernels lowered blood sugar and reduced fluctuations compared to products made from finely ground wholegrains, so this may be an important factor for diabetics to consider when choosing cereal products,” Åberg says.
...products with more intact kernels lowered blood sugar and reduced fluctuations compared to products made from finely ground wholegrains...
The next study was conducted in Gothenburg in 2021, when healthy people with overweight and obesity were recruited for a dietary study that focused on hunger, satiety and metabolic response. Sifted wheat products were compared with wholegrain rye products. “Participants reported less hunger and higher satiety at dinnertime if they ate wholegrain rye during the day. We also measured lower levels of ghrelin, the hunger hormone, after meals with wholegrain rye,” says Åberg. Studies of blood sugar control after meals also had interesting results. The rye-based diet lowered the blood sugar response by 30% compared to the wheat-based diet.
The rye-based diet lowered the blood sugar response by 30% compared to the wheat-based diet.
The aim of the third study was a 12-week comparison of the effect of consuming products based on sifted wheat or wholegrain rye on weight and fat mass. “To our surprise, the participants lost about the same amount of weight, regardless of diet,” says Åberg. Instead, metabolic factors were important. People’s fat mass and ability to lose weight were affected by whether they had low-grade inflammation and increased insulin resistance. “Our findings show that individuals with elevated inflammation and insulin resistance may benefit from choosing wholegrain rye over sifted wheat,” Åberg concludes.
Text: Ingar Nilsson
Photo: Chalmers
