Diet The Foundation Of Treatment: Diabetes

Content provided by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School

Diet: The foundation of treatment

Diet therapy is crucial to treating diabetes, but the approaches are quite different for type 1 and type 2. In type 1 diabetes, your diet must be coordinated with your insulin regimen. Because the goal is to match insulin delivery to insulin requirements, which are largely dictated by meal size and content, understanding the impact of specific foods on your blood sugar levels is key. On the other hand, type 2 diabetes is largely a consequence of overeating, so cutting calories is vital. In both forms of diabetes, it is important to consume the right mixture of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats every day to keep blood sugar levels as normal as possible throughout the day.

One dietary recommendation applies universally: Aim for a diet low in saturated fats and high in fiber, fruit, and vegetables. Why? Because both types of diabetes are associated with cardiovascular disease. The American Diabetes Association and the American Dietetic Association recommend that people with diabetes get most of their daily protein requirement from beans, grains, and vegetables, not meat. By cutting down on animal proteins, your diet will have less fat and cholesterol. And high-fiber foods may help lower both your cholesterol and blood sugar levels. A 2000 study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that a diet rich in fiber (about 50 grams per day) lowered blood sugar levels by 10%.

Following is a brief overview of dietary advice for people with diabetes.

Last updated:	January 23, 2007