Abstract
We have recently reported that high-fiber diet is an effective therapeutic regimen for the control of some metabolic derangements in diabetic rats (Yamashita et al., 1980). Additional effects of high-fiber diet on the metabolic states in streptozotocininduced diabetic rats were investigated. The animals were divided into two groups: a dietary fiber group fed on diet containing 10% dietary fiber ad libitum and a control group fed on a control diet ad libitum for fifty days. Fasting blood glucose levels were significantly lower in rats in the dietary fiber group than in those in the control group. In addition, plasma high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol values and the HDL cholesterol/total cholesterol ratio in fiber-fed rats were higher than those in the control group. These results indicate that a high-fiber diet may have a beneficial effect on the metabolism of cholesterol as well as glucose in diabetics.
