Whole grains for health, Research, Department of Medicine

Kia ora, Kia orana, Talofa, Malo e lelei, Fakaalofa atu, Malo ni

This is a research study to find out whether eating wholegrain foods for 12 weeks helps improve blood glucose control in type 2 diabetes.

Recruitment for this study has now closed

We aimed to have 160 people join this study who:

have type 2 diabetes,
are aged 18–80,
live in Otago, Canterbury or Southland and;
can replace the grain foods you eat with the whole grains we provide for 12 weeks.

Goal of the study

What we already know

We already know that eating wholegrains (like wholemeal bread) is healthier than eating refined grains (like white bread). What we don't know is if milling whole grains reduces the benefits associated with their intake.

What we want to find out

Is there a difference in blood glucose control (HbA1c) after eating un-milled wholegrains or finely milled wholegrains for twelve weeks?

Participating in the study

Why should I join the study?

Participants will receive a free delivery of wholegrain foods every fortnight for 12 weeks.
Participants will be helping us learn more about how to improve health for people with diabetes.

What does the study involve?

At the beginning and end of the study participants will:

Complete a 1 hour online survey
Record a food diary for 4 days
Visit a SCL centre for a fasted blood test and weight measurement
Take a finger prick blood sample at home

There will also be a 5-minute online survey every 2 weeks for the 12 weeks.

Research participation timeline

	When you join	Week 2, 4, 6, 8, 10	Week 12 (after 3 months)
SCL lab	Blood test, weight		Blood test, weight
Online questions	1 hour	5 minutes	1 hour
Food diary	For 4 days		For 4 days
At home	Dried blood spot test		Dried blood spot test

What equipment do I need to be part of this study?

You need to be able to access the internet, have an email address, and a smart phone. We will ask you to complete the questionnaires online, in your own time. Emails with a link to the online questionnaires will be sent to you throughout the study.

As much as possible, this study will be run online to minimise any risk to you if there is a future COVID‑19 outbreak. Blood tests will be taken at Southern Community Laboratories (SCL) for this reason. However, the research team is here online to help with participating in the study.

What is a food diary?

You will be asked to record everything you eat and drink for 4 full days, once at the beginning of the study and again after 12 weeks of receiving free wholegrain foods.

We will ask you to record your food diary using the Research Food Diary app on your smartphone. If you don't enjoy filling out details on what food you have eaten, this study may not be for you.

Tell me more about the wholegrain foods provided

Participants will receive a wholegrain grocery delivery to their home every 2 weeks for a period of 12 weeks, making 6 deliveries in total.

Participants are asked to replace the grain foods they normally eat with the wholegrain foods we provide. Please don't eat more or less grain foods than usual. The wholegrain foods will be the same each time they are delivered.

Participants will be put into one of two groups (you don't get to choose which group you are put into):

Un-milled whole grains
1kg whole oats, 5 loaves of frozen un-milled wholegrain bread, bulgur wheat and brown rice.
Finely milled whole grains
1kg oat flour, 5 loaves of frozen finely-milled wholemeal bread, couscous and brown rice pasta.

The foods provided will be wholegrain food basics that you can eat in any way you like. You will still need to buy other groceries during these 12 weeks.

Can I share the wholegrain foods?

We understand that eating is often a family event. We will give you enough wholegrain foods to share with the others in your household. If we provide you with too many wholegrain foods, you are free to give the excess away.

What if I don't like some of the wholegrain foods that are provided?

Participants must, in general, be willing to eat the wholegrain foods provided each day.

Do I need to eat all the wholegrain foods provided?

You do not need to eat all the wholegrain foods provided, in fact we aim to give you extra so that you never run out. If there are more wholegrain foods than you need, you can choose what you would like to do with the left-over food. You could give the food away or store it for later use.

When and where are the wholegrain foods delivered?

The food will be delivered to your door every second Wednesday for 12 weeks.

We may not be able to deliver to some rural addresses.

Where do I go to get a blood test?

The Southern Community Laboratories locations listed below are the only labs that can take the blood tests for the study. There is no need to book or call ahead. Just show up on a weekday morning with your lab form, and do NOT eat breakfast beforehand. This means nothing to eat or drink except plain water, for 10 hours before the blood test.

Please take your medications as usual before the blood test.