Can eating less staple food cure diabetes? Here is the truth

There is a rumor that diabetes can be cured by giving up starchy foods, eating less fruits with high fructose content, not drinking beverages, and refusing processed foods.

The truth is: there are many ways to treat diabetes. In most cases, improvement in the condition is the result of the combined effects of multiple methods such as diet, exercise, and medication. This cannot be used as a reason to unilaterally exaggerate the effectiveness of a specific method.

At the end of the 18th century, British doctor John Rollo was the first to notice the therapeutic value of a low-carb diet for diabetes. The "low-carb diet, high-fat, high-protein diet" he advocated had a far-reaching impact, making people realize the adverse effects of a high-carb diet on diabetes, but it is also the source of many current dietary misconceptions, such as "diabetics cannot eat fruit" and "it doesn't matter if you eat any vegetables".

If the staple food is excessively restricted, and carbohydrates are not eaten for a long time or are eaten very little, fat will have to provide excessive calories, which will have an adverse effect on the brain and myocardial metabolism that mainly relies on glucose for energy. At the same time, excessive intake of high fat and high protein will increase the metabolic burden on the liver and kidneys, and the incidence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular complications may also increase as a result.

A scientific diabetes diet pattern is not absolute or single. Instead, it should be based on each person's different tastes and preferences. Under the guidance of professionals, one should choose a personalized diet that suits him or her, and continue to enjoy one's favorite foods in a healthy way to the maximum extent, rather than blindly pursuing a certain dietary "special effect."

Zhang Tian, ​​chief nutritionist of the Nutrition Department of China Medical University Air Force General Hospital, said that for diabetic patients, the following points should be noted in their diet:

Control the total calories from all foods consumed daily to achieve or maintain ideal body weight;

Eat a balanced diet, choosing a variety of nutritious foods;

Limit the intake of saturated fatty acids and choose high-quality protein in moderation. On the premise of limiting the total amount of fat, vegetable oil should be used as much as possible; limit the intake of cholesterol in the diet, and do not eat or eat less cholesterol-rich foods such as animal offal, egg yolks, etc.;

Appropriately relax restrictions on staple foods, reduce or prohibit foods containing monosaccharides and disaccharides;

Eat high-fiber meals and choose foods with a low glycemic index. You can choose coarse grains (such as buckwheat noodles, oatmeal, corn, etc.) and whole grains in moderation, and eat more green vegetables;

Reduce salt intake to less than 6 grams per day;

Eat small meals frequently and at regular times and quantitative times;

Drink plenty of water, limit tobacco and alcohol, and quit smoking;

Use steaming, boiling, stewing or cold dressing to process food, and avoid frying, deep-frying, fumigation or shabu-shabu. (Compiled by Beijing Science and Technology Association, Beijing Health Commission Air Force General Hospital)