Common Foods Not Suitable for Diabetics

Diabetes affects more than 23 million people in the United States. In 8 percent of the population, the pancreas either produces too little insulin or insulin that cannot be used efficiently to control the level of blood glucose carried throughout the body. Diet has proved to be an effective strategy for controlling blood sugar levels, an important part of eye, heart and endocrine system health.

Identification

• Diabetes, a disease of the endocrine system, causes extremes in the levels of glucose carried in the blood stream. Glucose, digested from the food we eat, is necessary for tissue health, kidney function, heart health and a healthy nervous system. Insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, helps tissues accept and process glucose. When blood glucose rises too fast or falls too rapidly, tissue cells are either bombarded or starved, so diabetics have to watch carefully what they eat.

Significance

• Extremely low or excessively high glucose levels can cause conditions that result in heart disease, blindness or peripheral neuropathy, which, coupled with poor circulation, can lead to loss of limbs. The fact that glucose is derived from food makes diet one of the keys to successfully managing diabetes. Foods containing complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains and high-fiber vegetables and fruits, take longer to transfer into the bloodstream than simple carbohydrates, including refined sugars and simple starches.

History

• Until the discovery of insulin in the early 20th century, diabetes was a painful, fatal disease. The insulin discovery began a search to understand how it worked and to devise a replacement. Insulin replacements helped identify another type of diabetes that was not dependent on insulin. As new drugs appeared to replace and help the body use insulin, the concept of managing glucose by regulating the food it came from offered a way to control diabetes without a heavy dependence on drugs. By the end of the century, nutritionists were counseling diabetes patients to spread consumption of carbohydrates throughout the day and to avoid candy, ice cream, potato chips and other foods that contained simple carbohydrates.

Type 1 Diabetics

• Type I diabetics use insulin replacement and are taught to avoid sweets and alcohol; one causes a spike in blood sugar and the other creates a precipitous drop. Before the development of portable glucose meters and insulin pumps, candy bars and gooey birthday cakes were surefire ways to bring on insulin shock. Today, most type 1 diabetics can include some sweets and an occasional glass of wine in their diets, providing they consume only in moderation.

Type 2 Diabetics

• Obesity and diet appear to play major roles in type 2 diabetes, a condition typically developed in adulthood. Type 2 diabetics are counseled to avoid intake of saturated fats found in fried and many snack foods. Diet plays an important role for this group, too, because many of them can manage their condition by controlling their weight, especially by limiting sweets and fats. Breads made from refined and single grains are another example of a simple carbohydrate that can be replaced with more complex, whole grain breads.

Considerations

• Sugars, fats and refined grains are not alone on the list of foods that "just aren't worth it" for diabetics. Artificial sweeteners are discouraged, too. They do not contain sugar, but they still encourage the "sweet tooth" preferences of diabetics.