It is one of the most common non-communicable diseases in the world. Only in Spain, according to the latest data from the International Diabetes Federation, it affects more than five million people.
Thus, Spain is the second European country with the highest incidence rate (8 out of 100 people). Outside our borders, China is the country with the most diabetics (140 million), followed by India (74 million people), Pakistan (32 million) and the United States (32 million people).
The type 2 diabetes is the most common. The main causes of its appearance are a sedentary lifestyle and the accumulation of adipose tissue. It is up to ten times more common than Diabetes type 1a chronic autoimmune disease that usually develops during childhood or adolescence.
However, a study published in and led by Diana Diaz Rizzoloa professor of Health Sciences Studies at the , highlights that regular consumption of quinoa can contribute to the appearance of type 2 diabetes.
Some previous studies had shown that polyphenols, present in quinoa, could reduce blood glucose.
And it is that the nutritional value of this food, of Andean origin, makes it one of the richest. For every 100 grams, 14 of protein, 22 milligrams of vitamin C, 47 milligrams of calcium, 4.6 of iron and, of course, polyphenols.
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“We did a review to find out what the scientific literature said about all the benefits attributed to quinoa and we saw that there was no previous scientific evidence, that there were only hypotheses and that the existing works only focused on a specific component or nutrient, without take into account all the food”, explains the main author of the research.
Prioritize the consumption of quinoa
For this reason, both Dr. Díaz Rizzolo and her team launched an eight-week clinical study: four weeks with a normal diet, with complex carbohydrates such as cereals and legumes, and another four weeks with quinoa.
The mean age of the participants, in a state of prediabetes, was 69 years, with morbidities such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia (presence of fats in the blood such as cholesterol and triglycerides) and a history of diabetes mellitus. Most of them women.
“70% of people who are in a state of prediabetes They will end up developing the disease. Furthermore, this conversion ratio increases in older adults. In this way, the sum of the prediabetic state and aging enormously increases the risk of developing the disease”, highlights the doctor.
Other foods made with quinoa flour (with a percentage greater than 70%) such as biscuits, sliced bread or pasta were also included in the diet.
Quinoa contains a high content of unsaturated fats, antioxidants and polyphenols, with clear cardiovascular benefits
And the results were very promising, although as it was a pilot study, the sample was very small. “We compared the patterns of blood glucose and saw that, when the participants had ingested quinoa, the glucose peak was lower than with the diet usual,” he details.
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“This is crucial, because these spikes in blood glucose after eating are decisive in the evolution of type 2 diabetes.”