Treatment of diabetes – Diet

The diet for a diabetic is, in principle, no different from the diet considered healthy for the population as a whole.

Carbohydrate:

• Unrefined rather than simple sugars
• CHO is absorbed slowly from fibre-rich foods, preventing the rapid swings in circulating glucose seen when refined sugars are consumed.

Calories:

Should be tailored to the needs of the diabetic patient.

Composition:

• CHO 50-55%
• Fat 30-35%
• Protein 15%

An overweight patient is started on a reducing diet of 1000-1600 kcal daily.

A lean patient is put on an isocaloric diet.

Patients who are underweight (because of untreated diabetes) require energy supplementation.