Articles Researching Barley and Beta-Glucan


Breakfast Cereals and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in the Physicians’ Health Study I
Written By: Jinesh Kochar, Luc Djoussé and J. Michael Gaziano | Found In: Obesity December 2007

Abstract
Objective: To examine the association between breakfast cereal consumption and the risk
of type 2 diabetes (DM).

Research Methods and Procedures: We analyzed prospectively data from 21,152 male
participants of the Physicians’ Health Study I. Consumption of breakfast cereals was
estimated using an abbreviated food questionnaire, and incident DM was ascertained
through yearly follow-up questionnaires.

Results: The average age was 53.6 9.4 years (range, 39.7 to 85.9) during the initial
assessment of cereal intake (1981 to 1983). During a mean follow-up of 19.1 years, 1958
cases of DM occurred. The crude incidence rates of DM were 57.7, 53.8, 43.5, and 35.4
cases/10,000 person-years for people reporting breakfast cereal intake of 0, 1, 2 to 6, and
7 servings/wk, respectively. In a Cox regression model adjusting for age, cigarette
smoking, BMI, physical activity, vegetable consumption, and alcohol intake, hazard
ratios (95% confidence interval) for DM were 1.0 (reference), 0.89 (0.79 to 1.00), 0.76
(0.67 to 0.86), and 0.63 (0.55 to 0.72) from the lowest to the highest category of cereal
consumption, respectively (p for trend < 0.0001). In secondary analyses, the inverse
association between cereal intake and DM was stronger with whole-grain than refined
cereals.

Click Here for the PDF

» View All

Why Beta Glucan Products Medical Research