Effect of Whole Grain Diet on Insulin Sensitivity, Advanced Glycation End Products and Inflammatory Markers in Pre-diabetes

Food products derived from cereal grains constitute a major part of the daily diet of many Americans . For example, a typical Chinese American eats rice about 9.5 times a week on an average. However, most of these foods are derived from refined grain. During the refining process grains are stripped of their bran and germ which results in depletion of several biologically active constituents including fiber, anti-oxidants, phytoestrogens and minerals. From observational studies there is evidence for a protective effect of whole-grain foods with regard to the development of type 2 diabetes. More recently, higher intake of whole grains was also associated with decreases in insulin resistance - a risk factor related to the development of type 2 diabetes.

In this randomized study the investigators plan to replicate this beneficial effect of improving insulin sensitivity in patients with pre-diabetes and go a step further by exploring the potential mechanisms by which this benefit may occur. The investigators will assess the effect of consuming a whole-grain-rich diet on levels of advanced glycation endproducts (AGE), RAGE (receptor for AGE) and markers of inflammation and oxidative stress - all of which have been shown to play an important role in the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus. The investigators will also look for correlations between the levels of these markers with insulin sensitivity to identify potential mechanisms of pathogenesis.