Dietary fiber and glucose tolerance in Japanese Brazilians.

A lthough the evidence for a protective effect of high total dietary fiber intakes on diabetes appears to be strong (1), the role of food sources of dietary fiber in the etiology of impaired glucose disturbances is poorly understood (2). Epidemiological studies suggest that high intakes of whole grain foods (3,4) and vegetables (5–7) may prevent diabetes. On the other hand, the impact of consumption of fruits and fruit juices (5,6,8), legumes (5,9), and refined grains (3,10) has been investigated in a few controversial investigations. Here, we evaluated the relationship between fiber-related dietary factors and the risk of impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) among Japanese Brazilians.