Diabetes is a long-term metabolic disease. According to WHO. Diabetes affects around 422 million people around the world, with most of them living in low- and middle-income nations. The most common is type 2 diabetes, usually find in adults.
The pancreas releases insulin, a hormone which aids in your cells absorb glucose for fuel. Diabetes arises when the body creates too little insulin or makes use of it inappropriately. Your blood sugar rises excessively as a result of the glucose remaining in your blood circulation and not reaching your cells.
It affects the heart, kidneys, eyes, and nerves. it must be identified and treated early in order for a person to gain control of the condition and reduce complications. Death and morbidity rates are much higher among individuals with diabetes.
Types of Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes
The pancreatic beta cells are destroyed by the immune system in this kind of diabetes. Insulin produced by the pancreas is either absent or very low in this kind of diabetes. Although it may occur at any time in life, it is most commonly observed in infants and young children.
Type 2 Diabetes
This kind of diabetes occurs when your body fails to adequately use the insulin that your pancreas produces, leading to abnormally high blood sugar levels. This is the most prevalent kind of diabetes, mostly affecting the obese, elderly, and those with a hereditary predisposition.
Malnutritional related diabetes
This kind of diabetes is distinct from others. Most developing countries including the Philippines, Africa, Sri Lanka, and India are where this is seen. The pancreas secretes inadequate amounts of insulin, which leads to this kind of diabetes. The patient required an extra insulin dosage as a consequence. Youth in the 15–30 age group are the main target audience for this. These people seem malnourished and thin.
Gestational diabetes
An elevated blood sugar level during pregnancy is known as gestational diabetes. Pregnancy’s second and third trimesters are when this generally happens. After pregnancy, this diabetes usually disappears. The first line of treatment for gestational diabetes is nonpharmacologic treatments including exercise, diet modifications, and glucose monitoring.
Nutritional management for Diabetes
For people with diabetes, medical nutrition therapy is essential in helping them manage their blood sugar levels and choose a balanced diet to lower their cholesterol and blood pressure.
Nutritional treatment has also been used to prevent and control the long-term effects of diabetes, including obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and cardiovascular disease.
Diet Principals For Diabetes
- Carbohydrates should provide 50% to 60% of an individual’s energy needs .Majority of these carbohydrates should originate from grains that are whole, legumes, fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and cereals. The pattern of distribution and proportion vary based on the insulin doses and treatment objectives of the people.
- It is recommended that proteins account for 15% to 20% of total energy. Proteins are essential in the treatment of diabetes because they increase the synthesis of insulin. Eggs, lean meat, poultry, milk and milk products, fish, and other marine foods are rich sources of high biological value proteins. Animal proteins can be substituted with vegetable proteins found in soy, tofu, almonds, and all pulses.
- It’s important to keep in mind that consuming more protein than is advised could worsen the symptoms of diabetic neuropathy.
The maximum amount of fat in a diet should be 30%. Use additional monounsaturated fat (which makes about 10% to 15% of total calories) if at all feasible. Conversely, fats, including saturated and polyunsaturated, should account for less than 10% of total energy. Extra virgin olive oil, sunflower oil, and canola oil are all great options. For people with diabetes, fish is a fantastic animal substitute because of its high omega-3 fatty acid concentration.
- Macronutrients and micronutrients together are essential for the daily treatment of diabetes. Vitamin A is essential because diabetes increases the destruction of epithelium.
- Vitamin D is required for the blood to have the proper level of insulin. The need for vitamin E is rising among diabetic patients. It raises blood oxygenation, improves insulin sensitivity, and has antioxidant properties. Vitamin C helps repair wounds in addition to increasing immunity and decreasing cholesterol. All of the B-complex vitamins are necessary for a healthy life with diabetes.
- Minerals such as magnesium, potassium, zinc, iron, and chromium are necessary for blood glucose regulation, cholesterol regulation, pancreatic function, and immunity development.
Dietary modifications vary from person to person and are based on dietary habits, lifestyle choices, cultural norms, and level of adaptability.
Causation about Glycemic index
The glycemic index indicates how much a food’s carbohydrates raise blood sugar. Blood sugar levels rise more in response to foods having a higher glycemic index than in those with a lower index. For consistently stable blood glucose levels, look at foods with a low GI in your diet. Rolling or steel-cut cereal, oat bran, muesli, parboiled rice, barley, peas, legumes, lentils, whole grains, and all vegetables in the gourd family are good low-GI eating options. It is necessary to incorporate these items in the diet.
Every food item, including cakes, pastries, macaroni, potatoes, pumpkin, sago, popcorn, white bread, corn flakes, puffed rice, quick oatmeal, and short-grain rice, has a high glycemic index (GI). These are the kinds of foods you should avoid.
Some dietary suggestions to follow:
Eating modestly frequently meals in the day is necessary. Meals and snacks high in nutrients must be the standard.
It is advised to have a diet rich in complex carbs and fiber. 25 to 45 grammes of dietary fiber should be consumed for an energy diet consisting of 1000 calories.
To reduce cholesterol, a diabetic’s diet should include legumes, whole grain cereals, and fenugreek seed.
Drink plenty of water throughout the day. Make sure you’re getting enough water. Other liquids can also be consumed, such as buttermilk, soups, and less sweet sharbat.
Consume a lot of veggies. Eat the fruit whole; do not drink the juice. Avoid foods like mango, banana, potato, sweet potato, and sago, as they have a high glycemic index.
Keep away from processed, deep-fried, and junk food.