Sugar in the diet of diabetics
Household sugar is no longer on the banned list. However, diabetics are recommended (as is the general population) to limit their sugar consumption in principle. Sugar supplies only ” empty calories “, which means that it does not contain other important nutrients such as Vitamine or mineral materials except energy.
Especially overweight diabetics have a very unfavorable intake of sugar and should be restricted accordingly. In case of intensified insulin thearpia, there is certainly the possibility to adjust the insulin dose to foods containing sugar. Moderate consumption of sugar does not necessarily lead to a deterioration in blood sugar levels, if the adjustment measures are appropriate.
Since there is no longer a general ban on household sugar for diabetics, the recommendation for so-called sugar substitutes has also changed. These sugars such as sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, isomalt and fructose are dispensable in the diet of the diabetic. Their long-term benefit for metabolic control has not been proven.
Moreover, products containing these forms of sugar have as many calories as products containing household sugar. They are generally more expensive and often have a flatulent and laxative effect. The use of calorie-free sweeteners (aspartame, saccharin, cyclamate) in tablet or liquid form is possible but not necessary.
These tables can make it easier for diabetics treated with insulin to portion carbohydrate meals. However, it is not advisable to rigidly define the gram amount of foods containing 12 g or 10 g of carbohydrates.The biological fluctuation range of the individual foods is large, ranging from 20 to 30 %. Today, the carbohydrate exchange tables list food portions containing 10 to 12 g of usable carbohydrates.
These can be exchanged for each other. Portions can be estimated on the basis of kitchen measurements (a thin slice of bread, a medium-sized apple, 2 tablespoons of coarse wholegrain oat flakes, etc.) and no longer have to be determined exactly in grams on kitchen scales.
Menu example
for a type 2 diabetic with conventional insulin therapy:insulin injection before breakfast and before dinner The carbohydrate carriers are printed diagonally in the example. Breakfast (3 CH portions) Snack between meals (1 CH portion) Snack between meals (1 CH portion) Snack between meals (2 CH portions) Dinner (3 CH portions) Late meal (2 CH portions) The daily schedule contains an average of 1800 kcal and 16 CH portions spread over the day.
- Muesli made from 3 tablespoons of whole grain oat flakes, 1 tablespoon of chopped walnuts, 1 small apple and 1 small cup of natural yogurt (1.5% fat)
- 1 small slice of wholemeal bread, some vegetable margarine, 1 slice of turkey breast, 3 to 4 radishes
- 1 portion of fresh fruit of your choice, for example two medium sized apricots
- Lunch 3 KH portions
- 1 small portion chicken breast fillet with mushrooms, 1 large portion broccoli vegetables, 2 medium potatoes
- 1 piece of fruit tartlet (1 small tartlet with fresh strawberries, some glaze
- 200 g tomato salad with onions and fresh herbs, 1 slice of Emmentaler (30% fat i. tr.) some spreadable fat on 1 1/2 slices of wholemeal bread
- 2 cups of milk (1.5%), 3 tablespoons of cornflakes
- In addition, 1.5 to 2.0 liters of calorie-free drinks spread over the day.
