Diabetes requires a reduction of dietary carbohydrates to regulate the body’s resistance or lack of insulin. However, certain carbohydrates are more acceptable than others. Those low on the glycemic index (GI) digest slower, meaning they don’t create a spike in glucose levels. The GI measures how a carbohydrate-containing food raises blood glucose and is comprised of low, medium and high measurements. Eating low-glycemic foods such as 100-percent, stone-ground whole-wheat or pumpernickel bread; oatmeal (rolled or steel-cut); oat bran; muesli; sweet potatoes; peas; and legumes keep glucose levels steady.
A 2008 study confirmed the benefits of a low-carb diet for improving and reversing type 2 diabetes.1 During a 24-week period, 84 volunteers with obesity and type 2 diabetes were randomized to either a low-carb, ketogenic diet (LCKD) or a low-glycemic, reduced-calorie diet (LGID). Both diets led to improvements in fasting glucose, fasting insulin and weight loss. Diabetes medications were reduced or eliminated in 95.2 percent of the LCKD group. Dietary modification led to improvements in glycemic control and medication reduction/elimination in motivated volunteers with type 2 diabetes. The lower carb diet led to greater improvements in glycemic control, and more frequent medication reduction/elimination than the low GI diet.
Some find these adjustments difficult, often worsening the problem. “To change a lifestyle is not easy because these issues are created from multiple situations,” said Bob Serulla, president of sales at Active Pure Naturals. “Modern scientific skills require less physical labor; more competition for work, which causes more stress; and cultural tradition can all sometimes dictate food choices.”
“People are more prone to wait until their problem becomes a medical issue and then take a ‘magic pill’ (a drug) to correct their diet and lifestyle in a more timely manner,” said Neil E. Levin, CCN, DANLA, nutrition education manager, NOW Foods.