New Guidelines By ADA

For years, Diabetics were told to stay away from sweets and keep fat consumption to a minimum, but now it appears as if restricting certain types of foods isn't very necessary to keep blood sugar levels under control.

Guidelines recently released by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) lift restrictions on products made from sucrose and allow a diet high in monounsaturated fats like olive, canola, and peanut oils. The guidelines give Diabetics more dietary options, but experts say that patients must, nonetheless, be vigilant about how they eat.

"We often say that a good Diabetic diet is really just a good diet," says ADA spokesman Nathaniel Clark. Diabetics can eat anything that anyone else can eat. They just need to be far more careful about how they eat," he adds.

The guidelines stress that regular exercise is key to healthy living for most Diabetics. Moderate exercise not only lowers blood glucose levels, it is an important part of permanent weight control for keeping blood glucose levels at a normal range.

A large number of people in the world have Type II Diabetes. Being overweight or obese is the most significant risk factor for the disorder, one that is reaching epidemic numbers among adults, and being seen for the first time in large numbers of children. High glucose levels increase the chance of complications arising from Diabetes such as heart attack, stroke, leg amputations, and blindness.

Clark says clinical experience and scientific research have highlighted the flaws in the one-diet-fits-all approach to controlling Diabetes. An individualized approach to eating is important, he adds, because different Diabetics have different needs.

Research conducted for the past 15 years has shown that there is no significant difference in blood glucose response to foods high in sugar or starch, as long as the total amount of carbohydrates is similar. The guidelines note that many things, including how a food is processed and whether it is cooked, can influence a food's effect on blood glucose.

The ADA once recommended a low-fat diet for Diabetics, but that is no longer the case. While saturated fats, such as butter or other animal fats, should still be limited, studies have shown that Diabetics can thrive on diets rich in monounsaturated fats. In the mid 1990s, Abhimanyu Garg, MD, and his colleagues from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas found that such a diet improved Diabetes control, reduced cholesterol levels, and lowered triglycerides.

Foods high in monounsaturated fats include most nuts, avocados, and olive, canola, and peanut oils. They have been shown to help lower the levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol.

Other Recommendations made by the ADA:

Foods containing carbohydrates from whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and low-fat milk should be included in a healthy diet.

• The total amount of carbohydrates in meals or snacks is more important than the source or type of the food.
• Non-calorie sweeteners are safe when consumed within the acceptable daily intake levels established by the Food and Drug Administration.