Nov 8, 2012 – Beans and Blood Sugar

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ANCHOR LEAD: HOW MUCH CAN BEANS HELP KEEP BLOOD SUGAR UNDER CONTROL FOR THOSE WITH DIABETES?  ELIZABETH TRACEY REPORTS

If you really like legumes like beans and lentils, they may help keep your blood sugar under control if you have diabetes, but are not so good that people should strive to make a switch to them from whole grains.  That’s the conclusion of a new study, and Rita Kalyani, a diabetes expert at Johns Hopkins, says the diet and diabetes relationship is complex.

KALYANI: Low glycemic foods can certainly be a part of that but they are not the only part of that.  So it’s important to have a balanced diet of carbohydrates, proteins and fat.  We say to moderate carbohydrates, not restrict them because it is important to have it for energy and metabolism.  Also saturated versus trans fat is also important to keep those in mind. Having a healthy intake of fiber, moderating alcohol consumption, moderating sugarYsweetened beverage consumption, all of these factors go into a healthy diet. :28

Kalyani adds that factors such as exercise must also be considered for blood sugar control. At Johns Hopkins, I’m Elizabeth Tracey.