Carbohydrates And Diabetes
en espaolLos carbohidratos y la diabetes Keeping your blood sugar levels on track means watching what you eat, plus taking medicines like insulin if you need to. Your doctor may also have mentioned that you should keep track of how many carbohydrates (carbs) you eat. But what exactly are carbohydrates and how do they affect your blood sugar? The foods we eat contain nutrients that provide energy and other things the body needs, and one of these is carbohydrates . The two main forms of carbohydrates are: sugars such as fructose, glucose, and lactose starches, which are found in foods such as starchy vegetables (like potatoes or corn), grains, rice, breads, and cereals The body breaks down or converts most carbohydrates into the sugar glucose . Glucose is absorbed into the bloodstream, and with the help of a hormone called insulin it travels into the cells of the body where it can be used for energy. People with diabetes have problems with insulin that can cause blood sugar levels to rise. For people with type 1 diabetes, the pancreas loses the ability to make insulin. For people with type 2 diabetes, the body can't respond normally to the insulin that is made. Because the body turns carbohydrates into glucose, eating carbohydrates makes blood sugar levels rise. But that doesn't mean you should avoid carbohydrates if you have diabetes. Carbohydrates are a healthy and important part of a nutritious diet. Some carbohydrates have more health benefits than others, though. For example, whole-grain foods and fruits are healthier choices than candy and soda because they provide fiber, vitamins, and other nutrients. Fiber is important because it helps you feel full and keeps your digestive system working properly. In fact, eating lots of fiber can even help to slow the body's ab Continue reading >>
Type 2 Diabetes
What you eat makes a big difference when you have diabetes. When you build your diet, four key things to focus on are carbs, fiber, fat, and salt. Here's what you should know about each of them. Carbs give you fuel. They affect your blood sugar faster than fats or protein. You’ll mainly get them from: Fruit Milk and yogurt Bread, cereal, rice, pasta Starchy vegetables like potatoes, corn, and beans Some carbs are simple, like sugar. Other carbs are complex, like those found in beans, nuts, vegetables, and whole grains. Complex carbohydrates are better for you because they take longer for your body to digest. They give you steady energy and fiber. You may have heard of “carbohydrate counting.” That means you keep track of the carbs (sugar and starch) you eat each day. Counting grams of carbohydrate, and splitting them evenly between meals, will help you control your blood sugar. If you eat more carbohydrates than your insulin supply can handle, your blood sugar level goes up. If you eat too little, your blood sugar level may fall too low. You can manage these shifts by knowing how to count carbs. One carbohydrate serving equals 15 grams of carbohydrates. A registered dietitian can help you figure out a carbohydrate counting plan that meets your specific needs. For adults, a typical plan includes two to four carb servings at each meal, and one to two as snacks. You can pick almost any food product off the shelf, read the label, and use the information about grams of carbohydrates to fit the food into your meal plan. Anyone can use carb counting. It’s most useful for people who take more than one daily injection of insulin, use the insulin pump, or want more flexibility and variety in their food choices. You get fiber from plant foods -- fruits, vegetables, whole g Continue reading >>
Carbohydrates And Blood Sugar
When people eat a food containing carbohydrates, the digestive system breaks down the digestible ones into sugar, which enters the blood. As blood sugar levels rise, the pancreas produces insulin, a hormone that prompts cells to absorb blood sugar for energy or storage. As cells absorb blood sugar, levels in the bloodstream begin to fall. When this happens, the pancreas start making glucagon, a hormone that signals the liver to start releasing stored sugar. This interplay of insulin and glucagon ensure that cells throughout the body, and especially in the brain, have a steady supply of blood sugar. Carbohydrate metabolism is important in the development of type 2 diabetes, which occurs when the body can’t make enough insulin or can’t properly use the insulin it makes. Type 2 diabetes usually develops gradually over a number of years, beginning when muscle and other cells stop responding to insulin. This condition, known as insulin resistance, causes blood sugar and insulin levels to stay high long after eating. Over time, the heavy demands made on the insulin-making cells wears them out, and insulin production eventually stops. Glycemic index In the past, carbohydrates were commonly classified as being either “simple” or “complex,” and described as follows: Simple carbohydrates: These carbohydrates are composed of sugars (such as fructose and glucose) which have simple chemical structures composed of only one sugar (monosaccharides) or two sugars (disaccharides). Simple carbohydrates are easily and quickly utilized for energy by the body because of their simple chemical structure, often leading to a faster rise in blood sugar and insulin secretion from the pancreas – which can have negative health effects. Complex carbohydrates: These carbohydrates have mo Continue reading >>
A Guide To Healthy Low-carb Eating With Diabetes
Diabetes is a chronic disease that has reached epidemic proportions. It currently affects over 400 million people worldwide (1). Although diabetes is a complicated disease, maintaining good blood sugar control can greatly reduce the risk of complications (2, 3). One of the ways to achieve better blood sugar levels is to follow a low-carb diet. This article provides a detailed overview of low-carb diets for managing diabetes. If you have diabetes, your body cannot process carbohydrates effectively. Normally, when you eat carbs, they are broken down into small units of glucose, which end up as blood sugar. When blood sugar levels go up, the pancreas responds by producing the hormone insulin. This hormone allows the blood sugar to enter cells. In healthy people, blood sugar levels remain within a narrow range throughout the day. In diabetes, however, this system doesn't work the way it is supposed to. This is a big problem, because having both too high and too low blood sugar levels can cause severe harm. There are several types of diabetes, but the two most common ones are type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Both of these conditions can be diagnosed at any age. In type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune process destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. Diabetics must inject insulin several times a day to ensure that glucose gets into the cells and stays at a healthy level in the bloodstream (4). In type 2 diabetes, the beta cells at first produce enough insulin, but the body's cells are resistant to its action, so blood sugar remains high. To compensate, the pancreas produces more insulin, attempting to bring blood sugar down. Over time, the beta cells lose their ability to produce enough insulin (5). Of the three nutrients -- protein, carbs and fat -- carbs have the grea Continue reading >>
The 16 Best Foods To Control Diabetes
Figuring out the best foods to eat when you have diabetes can be tough. The main goal is to keep blood sugar levels well-controlled. However, it's also important to eat foods that help prevent diabetes complications like heart disease. Here are the 16 best foods for diabetics, both type 1 and type 2. Fatty fish is one of the healthiest foods on the planet. Salmon, sardines, herring, anchovies and mackerel are great sources of the omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA, which have major benefits for heart health. Getting enough of these fats on a regular basis is especially important for diabetics, who have an increased risk of heart disease and stroke (1). DHA and EPA protect the cells that line your blood vessels, reduce markers of inflammation and improve the way your arteries function after eating (2, 3, 4, 5). A number of observational studies suggest that people who eat fatty fish regularly have a lower risk of heart failure and are less likely to die from heart disease (6, 7). In studies, older men and women who consumed fatty fish 5–7 days per week for 8 weeks had significant reductions in triglycerides and inflammatory markers (8, 9). Fish is also a great source of high-quality protein, which helps you feel full and increases your metabolic rate (10). Fatty fish contain omega-3 fats that reduce inflammation and other risk factors for heart disease and stroke. Leafy green vegetables are extremely nutritious and low in calories. They're also very low in digestible carbs, which raise your blood sugar levels. Spinach, kale and other leafy greens are good sources of several vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C. In one study, increasing vitamin C intake reduced inflammatory markers and fasting blood sugar levels for people with type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure Continue reading >>
Health & Nutrition - Unit 5 - Carbohydrates - Diabetes
Sort Monosaccharides The three most important dietary monosaccharides are glucose, fructose, and galactose. Milk = vitamins, calcium, protein Glucose: Fruits and vegetables, especially berries, grapes, corn, and carrots, are good food sources of glucose. Glucose is the most important monosaccharide in the human body because it is a primary fuel for muscle and other cells. In fact, red blood and nervous system cells, including brain cells, must use glucose for energy under normal conditions. Thus, a healthy body maintains its blood glucose levels carefully. Glucose is also called dextrose and may be referred to as blood sugar. Fructose: (fruit sugar or levulose) is naturally found in fruit, honey, and a few vegetables, cabbage, green beans, and asparagus. Since fructose tastes much sweeter than glucose and is easily made from corn, food manufacturers use large amounts of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) as a food additive to satisfy Americans' demand for "regular" soft drinks, candies, and baked goods. The body has little need for fructose; therefore, most fructose is converted into glucose or fat. Galactose: Unlike glucose and fructose, galactose is not commonly found in foods. Galactose is a component of lactose, the form of carbohydrate in milk. After a woman gives birth, special glands in her breasts convert glucose into galactose, which is necessary for production of lactose in breast milk.Unlike glucose and fructose, galactose is not commonly found in foods. Galactose is a component of lactose, the form of carbohydrate in milk. After a woman gives birth, special glands in her breasts convert glucose into galactose, which is necessary for production of lactose in breast milk. - Part of "milk sugar" (lactose) Disaccharides Disaccharides include maltose, sucrose, and l Continue reading >>
What You Need To Know About Carbs
Carbohydrates, or saccharides, are biomolecules. The four major classes of biomolecules are carbohydrates, proteins, nucleotides, and lipids. Carbohydrates are the most abundant of the four. Also known as "carbs," carbohydrates have several roles in living organisms, including energy transportation. They are also structural components of plants and insects. Carbohydrate derivatives are involved in reproduction, the immune system, the development of disease, and blood clotting. Contents of this article: "Saccharide" is another word for "carbohydrate." Foods high in carbohydrates include bread, pasta, beans, potatoes, rice, and cereals. One gram of carbohydrate contains approximately 4 kilocalories High glycemic index (GI) carbohydrates quickly enter the bloodstream as glucose Switching to a low-GI diet improves the chance of a healthy weight and lifestyle What are carbohydrates? Carbohydrates, also known as saccharides or carbs, are sugars or starches. They are a major food source and a key form of energy for most organisms. They consist of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms. Two basic compounds make up carbohydrates: Aldehydes: These are double-bonded carbon and oxygen atoms, plus a hydrogen atom. Ketones: These are double-bonded carbon and oxygen atoms, plus two additional carbon atoms. Carbs can combine together to form polymers, or chains. These polymers can function as: long-term food storage molecules protective membranes for organisms and cells the main structural support for plants Most organic matter on earth is made up of carbohydrates. They are involved in many aspects of life. Types of carbohydrate There are various types of carbohydrate. They include monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polysaccharides. Monosaccharides This is the smallest possible sugar unit Continue reading >>
People With Type 2 Diabetes Should 'save Carbs For Last'
Home > Behind the Headlines > People with type 2 diabetes should 'save... Behind The Headlines - Health News from NHS Choices People with type 2 diabetes should 'save carbs for last' "Diabetics should save bread for last at mealtime to keep their blood sugar under control," the Mail Online reports. A small study found that people with type 2 diabetes who saved their carbohydrates until the end of their meal were less likely to experience a sudden rise in their blood sugar (glucose) levels. The medical term for this spike in blood sugar levels is postprandial hyperglycaemia. Postprandial hyperglycaemia is best avoided as not only can it make the day-to-day symptoms of diabetes worse, it has also been linked to an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease. It has been suggested that leaving carbohydrates until the end of a meal could slow the emptying of the stomach and give it a chance to digest the protein and vegetables first, which could help prevent a blood glucose spike. The researchers wanted to see whether this was true. This study included just 16 people who ate the foods of their meal in different orders to test which order was most effective at lowering blood sugar and related hormones. They either ate carbohydrates first, carbohydrates last, or all nutrients together at the same time. The researchers generally found that consuming carbohydrates last was better at lowering blood sugar levels and insulin secretion when compared to the other ways of eating carbohydrates. While the results are interesting, the study was far too small to form the basis of any firm medical guidance. For now, it's best to follow current advice, which is to consume a healthy diet and keep active to help you manage your blood sugar level. This will also help you control your Continue reading >>
Nutrition Test 2
Sort 12. Why is the calculated glycemic load an improvement over the measured glycemic index of a food? One thing that a food's glycemic index does not tell us is how much digestible carbohydrate it delivers. Take watermelon as an example. The sweet-tasting fruit has a very high glycemic index. But a slice of watermelon has only a small amount of carbohydrate per serving (as the name suggests, watermelon is made up mostly of water). That's why researchers developed a related way to classify foods that takes into account both the amount of carbohydrate in the food and the impact of that carbohydrate on blood sugar levels. This measure is called the glycemic load. (14, 15) A food's glycemic load is determined by multiplying its glycemic index by the amount of carbohydrate it contains. In general, a glycemic load of 20 or more is high, 11 to 19 is medium, and 10 or under is low. 19. Describe the results of studies on the effect of eating whole grains and whole grain products on cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, digestive disorders, and overall mortality. Eating whole instead of refined grains substantially lowers total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or bad) cholesterol, triglycerides, and insulin levels. Any of these changes would be expected to reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease. those who averaged 2 to 3 servings of whole grains a day were 30 percent less likely to have developed type 2 diabetes than those who rarely ate whole grains. The data on cancer are mixed, with some studies showing a protective effect and others showing none (4). A large, five-year study among nearly 500,000 men and women suggests that eating whole grains, but not dietary fiber, offers modest protection against colorectal cancer. whole grains helps prevent const Continue reading >>
Healthy Eating Diet Plan | Patient
A healthy diet may help to prevent certain long-term (chronic) diseases such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes. It may also help to reduce your risk of developing some cancers and help you to keep a healthy weight. This leaflet explains the principles of a healthy diet. It is general advice for most people. The advice may be different for certain groups of people, including pregnant women, people with certain health problems or those with special dietary requirements. Your body needs energy to work normally and keep you alive. You obtain this energy from nutrients in the food that you eat - mostly, carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Minerals and vitamins are other nutrients that are also important in your diet to help your body stay healthy. It is important to find the right balance between these different nutrients to achieve maximum health benefits (see below). A balanced diet generally contains food from each of the following food groups: Starchy foods such as bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, etc. Protein foods. These include meat, fish, eggs and other non-dairy sources of protein (including nuts, tofu, beans, pulses, etc). Fatty and sugary foods are the fifth food group that you eat. However, only a small amount of what you eat should be made up from fatty and sugary foods. In addition to the above, having plenty of fibre and water in your diet is also important for your health. A healthy diet may help to prevent certain serious diseases such as heart disease , stroke and type 2diabetes . It may also help to reduce your risk of developing some cancers. If you become sick, eating a healthy diet may help you to recover more quickly. Also, a main way of preventing obesity and overweight is to eat a healthy diet . If you are overweight or obese, eating a healthy diet c Continue reading >>
Type 2 Diabetes And Food Choices
You make food choices every day. Whole wheat or white bread? A side of french fries or fresh fruit? Eat now or later? Choices about what, when, and how much you eat affect your blood glucose. Understanding how food affects blood glucose is the first step in managing diabetes. According to the American Diabetes Association, following a diabetes meal plan can help you keep your blood glucose levels on track. Prevent problems Having type 2 diabetes means that your body doesn’t control blood glucose well. When blood glucose stays too high for too long, serious health problems can develop. By controlling your blood glucose through diet, exercise, and medicine, you can delay or prevent kidney, eye, and heart disease, and other complications of diabetes. Control carbohydrates Carbohydrates are foods that have the biggest effect on your blood glucose levels. After you eat carbohydrates, your blood glucose rises. Fruit, sweet foods and drinks, starchy foods (such as bread, potatoes and rice), and milk and milk products contain carbohydrates. Although carbohydrates are important for health, when you eat too many at once, your blood glucose can go too high, especially if you do not have or take adequate insulin for that food. Some carbohydrates—potatoes, sweets and white bread, for instance—may raise blood glucose more than others. Better choices are less processed foods with more fiber and nutrients, such as 100% whole wheat bread, oatmeal, brown rice, and nonstarchy vegetables. Learn to use food labels that indicate added sugar and try to find healthier alternatives, particularly if you are overweight. Food and medicine Insulin helps glucose move from the blood into your muscle cells, where it can be used for energy. Some oral diabetes medicines help you make more insulin Continue reading >>
All About Carbohydrates: How Carbs Affect Your Health And Performance.
Here are a couple of diagrams that show what some of these structures look like: Each subtype of carbohydrate has different effects in the human body depending on its structure and its food source, which affect things like: How quickly and/or easily the carbohydrate molecule is digested and absorbed Which other nutrients are provided along with the carbohydrate source; for example, fat and protein slow down the digestion and/or absorption Our perceptions of the carbohydrates texture and sweetness Carbohydrate consumption can alter energy dynamics and disease progression in the body. All carbohydrates we consume are digested into monosaccharides or simple sugars before theyre absorbed by the body, regardless of whether the food source is a simple sugar cube or a high-fiber, low glycemic index bowl of oatmeal. Its just that the healthier carbs are digested and absorbed much slower while the non-healthy carbs are digested very quickly. Once broken down and absorbed, these monosaccharides/sugars go to the liver to fill energy stores. After that, they enter the bloodstream and venture out to the other cells of the body. This is when insulin is released to handle this sugar load on the body. Carbohydrates are primarily a source of immediate energy for all of your bodys cells. As previously mentioned, carbohydrates also cause a release of insulin. A larger insulin response can be beneficial at certain times (like after an intense workout) and not so beneficial at certain times (like before bed). Although the fundamental process of digestion is the same, people differ in their tolerance and handling of carbohydrates. However, carbohydrate type also plays an important role. When the diet consists of simple sugars and refined carbohydrates (which the body breaks down rapidly), o Continue reading >>
Healthy Carbs For Diabetes
1 / 9 Making the Best Carb Choices for Diabetes "When you say 'carbohydrate,' most people think of sugar," says Meredith Nguyen, RD, a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator at the Methodist Charlton Medical Center Diabetes Self-Management Program in Dallas. But that's only half the story. Carbohydrates are also starches and valuable fiber, which are found in many nutrient-rich foods that should be part of a diabetes diet. Sugar is the basic building block that, depending on how it's organized, creates either starches or fiber. You need about 135 grams of carbohydrates every day, spread fairly evenly throughout your meals. Instead of trying to avoid carbs completely, practice planning your diabetes diet with everything in moderation. "There's nothing you can't have," Nguyen says. "The catch is that you might not like the portion size or frequency." Use this list of healthy carbohydrates to help you stay balanced. Continue reading >>
Why Carbohydrates Are So Important In Diabetes
Carbohydrates are sugar-based molecules found in fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and dairy products. The make up about 45% to 65% of calories in a healthy diet (the exact percentage is hotly debated); the rest come from fat and protein. You'll find carbohydrates in the healthiest foods you eat, and in the least healthy. Check the food label to find out exactly how much is in your favorite foods. How you eat can affect blood sugar Choosing the right kind of carbohydrates and spacing them out evenly throughout the day can keep blood sugar from rising too high, too fast (90% of the carbohydrate calories you digest end up as glucose, so they have a much bigger impact on blood sugar than fat or protein). "The goal ... is to take in enough carbohydrates to nourish ourselves, but never so much that it causes high blood sugars," says Linda Sartor, a diabetes nutrition specialist at the Penn Rodebaugh Diabetes Center at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Up until about the mid-1990s experts believed that people with diabetes should never eat foods that contain so-called "simple" sugarsthose found in cakes and candyand instead eat "complex" carbohydrates, or those with longer chains of sugar molecules such as potatoes, fruit, vegetables, and grains. We now know that all carbohydrates can cause a rise in blood sugar. Pasta and potatoes, for example, may cause a rapid rise in blood sugar, as can pastries (although other beneficial ingredients in food, such as fiber, cause blood sugar to rise more slowly). Some carbs are better than others The goal is now to maximize intake of the good stuffvitamins, minerals, and fiberand minimize carbohydrates that boost blood sugar too much, offer few nutritional benefits, or are packed with fat and calories. A dieti Continue reading >>
Saving Carbs For Last May Help Ward Off Blood Sugar Spike For Diabetics
(Reuters Health) - Saving the bread for last at mealtime could help people with diabetes keep their blood sugar under control, new research suggests. People with type 2 diabetes who ate protein and vegetables before they consumed carbohydrate-heavy bread and orange juice had a significantly lower increase in blood sugar after the meal, compared to when they ate carbs first, Dr. Alpana Shukla and Dr. Louis Aronne of the Comprehensive Weight Control Center at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City found. The decrease “is comparable to the kind of effect you see with some of the drugs we use to treat diabetes,” Shukla told Reuters Health in a telephone interview. “Eating carbohydrates last may be a simple strategy for regulating post-meal glucose levels.” Keeping blood sugar in check is crucial for people with type 2 diabetes, in part because it helps protect them from severe complications including heart disease, vision loss and nerve damage, Shukla noted. Typically, the researcher added, diabetic individuals are advised to cut down on their carb intake and stick with complex carbs rather than simple sugars. To follow up on small studies showing that eating protein before carbs led to a smaller bump in blood sugar than vice versa, the researchers had 16 men and women with type 2 diabetes consume the exact same meal on three separate occasions, one week apart, eating the items in a different order each time. Study participants ate bread and orange juice first, took a 10-minute rest, and finished up with chicken and salad; ate the meal in the reverse order; and consumed the chicken, veggies and bread as a sandwich, accompanied by orange juice. Every time, participants consumed the same amount of calories and carbohydrate. When people ate the carbs last, their post- Continue reading >>
