We know that carbohydrates are the main source of glucose, reducing carbohydrate intake can reduce the need for insulin and improve insulin sensitivity, This reduces postprandial blood sugar.

Controversy: Is a low-carb diet suitable for diabetics?

A low-carb diet is a dietary pattern that severely restricts carbohydrates and increases protein and fat intake, defined by studies as Daily carbohydrate intake is less than 130 grams.

Studies suggest that a low-carb diet pattern can lower blood sugar levels in patients, and studies have also reported that long-term low-carb diets are less safe and less effective for people with diabetes.

Study 1: A study published in The Lancet in 2018 that followed 15,400 participants found that the percentage of energy consumed by carbohydrates was associated with mortality There is a “U-shaped” association, meaning that people who consume 50%-55% of their total energy intake in carbohydrates have the lowest risk of death. The researchers estimated that 50-year-olds with moderate carbohydrate intake lived four years longer than those on an ultra-low-carb (<30% of total energy) diet.

Study 2: A short-term, low-carbohydrate diet is effective in improving lipid profiles in obese patients with type 2 diabetes, according to a study presented at the 2021 European Association for the Study of Diabetes Annual Meeting. The study randomly divided 72 adult obese patients with type 2 diabetes into two groups. One group adopted a low-carb diet and the other group adopted a traditional diabetes diet. After 6 weeks, it was found that the low-carb diet improved blood lipid profiles and reduced lipid deposition in the liver. better than the traditional diabetes diet.

Suggestion: For staple food, what you eat is as important as how much you eat

If you plan to eat less staple food to control your blood sugar, you must pay attention to your blood sugar situation and don’t change your previous If you have a healthy diet and reduce the staple food extremely, you should slowly understand the relationship between your diet and blood sugar, and do it under the guidance and advice of your doctor. Diabetic patients with specific diseases and states should adopt a low-carb diet with caution, and always pay attention to safety and effectiveness.

Carbohydrate-containing foods can be divided into four categories:

Cereals: 70%-80% carbohydrates, such as rice, flour, millet, Corn, Buckwheat, Oatmeal.

Miscellaneous beans: Carbohydrate content of 50%-60%, such as red beans, kidney beans, mung beans, broad beans, peas, chickpeas.

Potato: The carbohydrate content is about 25%, such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, taro, yam, cassava.

Other: fruit, added sugar, honey.

People with diabetes should avoid added sugars and honey, and cut down on refined carbohydrates such as instant oatmeal, sugary snacks and beverages, rice, and flour. It is also important to ensure that you are eating fat and lean protein.