Wheat bran is a dietary fiber that's sold as an ingredient in grocery stores and drugstores. It's in bran muffins, bran bread and bran cereals. Wheat bran is beneficial to the body by aiding in digestion, as well as lowering the risk for diabetes and aiding in weight loss, the Mayo Clinic says. Adding wheat bran to your daily diet is a beneficial way to keep your body in check when you balance it with other healthy foods, such as lean proteins and fresh fruit and vegetables.
Digestion
Wheat bran, according to the Mayo Clinic, "may lower your risk of specific disorders" related to digestion--including irritable bowel syndrome, hemorrhoids and diverticular disease. Wheat bran also reduces constipation and helps the digestive system stay regular. This is because wheat bran adds bulk to stool in the intestine, softens it and allows it to pass through the body more easily. Wheat bran may also help solidify more watery stool by adding bulk to it and allowing it to pass less painfully. Although wheat bran is one form of fiber, there are other dietary fibers that can be consumed to increase the benefits of wheat bran, including oat bran, nuts and whole-wheat flour. Alternate these brans to get the healthiest digestive benefits.
Diabetes
Wheat bran, according to the Mayo Clinic, may help regulate blood sugar. This may prevent Type 2 diabetes later in life. The Mayo Clinic also suggests that fiber, like that in wheat bran, can create stable blood sugar levels that may improve blood sugar in diabetic patients. According to a 2002 study at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto, Canada, wheat bran had no effect on the blood sugar levels of 23 Type 2 diabetes patients--although the study does suggest that it may take longer than three months for the effects to take place. The results of this study contradict the statements made by the Mayo Clinic that wheat bran can create stable blood sugar levels in the body.
Weight Loss
The Mayo Clinic suggests that wheat bran aids in rounding out a meal and creating a filling base. Adding a homemade wheat bran muffin to breakfast or lunch, for example, can make a meal last longer and feel like more food in your stomach. This way, you can eat a healthy meal of fruit, vegetables, lean protein and bran without feeling hungry afterward. The Mayo Clinic also suggests that because wheat bran takes a long time to chew, your food will take longer to eat. This may prevent overeating because the body will send signals that it's full before the meal has even been completed. Instead of wolfing down your food, the wheat bran will help your body recognize when it is full.
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