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Diet for Child With Diabetes

Diabetes is characterized by an excessive amount of glucose in the blood. There are two types of diabetes in children, called type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is caused when the pancreas fails to create insulin. Type 2 diabetes happens when the body fails to metabolize sugars properly. Symptoms of diabetes include increased thirst, increased urination, excessive hunger, weight loss, exhaustion, vision complications, slow-healing wounds and frequent infections of the skin and gums. There are some nutritional changes you can make in your child's diet to help deal with diabetes of both types.

  1. Chromium

    • A child with type 2 diabetes needs chromium, a mineral, to help balance glucose levels in the blood. Chromium regulates insulin and reduces the need for insulin in children with type 1 diabetes. Chromium also helps your body use insulin to pull glucose from your blood into your body cells for energy production. Give your child chromium through natural food sources like brewer's yeast, vegetables, fruits, fish, cheese, meats and whole grains. Your child can also get chromium from cereals, spices, molasses, bran and pork kidneys. Children ages 1 to 3 require 11 mcg daily; children ages 4 to 8 need 15 mcg of chromium daily. Children between the ages of 9 and 13 need 25 mcg of chromium a day, and adolescents require 35 mcg of chromium daily.

    Magnesium

    • Your child needs magnesium, which is a mineral that helps improve type 2 diabetes. Low magnesium levels can diminish glucose levels in the blood. Children with type 1 and type 2 diabetes should take magnesium to improve insulin action. Magnesium-rich food sources include: agar seaweed, almonds, baked potatoes, bananas, basil, beet greens, black walnuts, blackstrap molasses, bran cereals, Brazil nuts, cashews, celery seed, chocolate, cocoa powder, coriander, cumin seed, dill weed, dried mustard, fennel seed and green leafy vegetables. Your child can also get magnesium from legumes, marjoram, nuts, oat flour, oatmeal, peanuts, pine nuts, pistachio, poppy seed, pumpkin, sage, savory, shredded wheat, soybean flour, spinach, squash seeds, tarragon, tofu, wheat bran, whole grains and whole-wheat flour.

      Children up to the age of 3 require 40 to 80 mg of magnesium a day. Children ages 4 to 6 require 120 mg of magnesium a day. Children ages 7 to 10 require 170 mg a day, and adolescents require 270 to 400 mg of magnesium daily for optimal health.

    Fiber

    • Your type 2 diabetic child requires plenty of fiber to help reduce glucose levels and insulin levels. Diabetic children should also consume ample fiber to reduce cholesterol levels and triglyceride levels. Food sources for fiber include fruits, oats, barley, peas, dried beans, and psyllium seed husks. Fiber can also be found in corn brain, grain cereals and whole-grain products as well as vegetables. There is no recommended daily allowance of fiber for children. Increase your child's fiber consumption slowly over a period of a few days to avoid issues with constipation or gastrointestinal upset.

    Vitamin H

    • Vitamin H, or biotin, is a vitamin that is actually part of the B complex vitamins. This vitamin is excellent for children with type 2 diabetes, and it works in unison with chromium to lower glucose levels and to regulate insulin. Abundant food sources of biotin include egg yolk, nuts, sardines, cooked eggs, walnuts, peanuts, almonds, pecans, nut butters, legumes, soybeans, peanuts, cauliflower, mushrooms, bananas and whole grains. Children 7 to 12 months old need 5 mcg of vitamin H daily; children 1 to 3 years of age need 6 mcg of vitamin H a day; children ages 4 to 8 need 8 mcg a day. Children ages 9 to 13 need 20 mcg of vitamin H every day, and adolescents need 25 mcg daily.

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