Type 2 diabetes can be a 'devastating diagnosis' says expert
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Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition whereby poor insulin production causes blood sugar levels to rise. Blood sugar – the main type of sugar found in blood – provides your body energy and helps you to maintain a healthy weight, but levels must be regulated. Uncontrolled blood sugar levels can inflict damage on the body.
To compensate, people with type 2 diabetes must turn to diet, which can mimic the effects of insulin and improve insulin production.
However, some dietary decisions present hidden health risks due to their carbohydrate content.
Carbs are broken down into blood glucose (sugar) faster than other food groups, causing blood sugar levels to spike after eating them.
Fruit juices contain nutrients that nourish the body but they can cause blood sugar levels to rise.
“Because you can get through a lot of juice within a relatively short period of time, compared to eating the actual fruit, you may end up loading up with a lot of carbs over that period,” warns Diabetes UK.
The health body continues: “Depending on how your diabetes is managed, this can result in your blood glucose levels going up, and may affect your weight in the long term as well.”
That is why it is generally advisable to eat the actual fruit and avoid juices.
“If you want to drink fruit juice, limit it to a maximum of a small glass, once a day,” advises Diabetes UK.
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A more suitable alternative
Drinking water can help keep the threat of high blood sugar levels at bay.
“As water contains no carbohydrate or calories, it is the perfect drink for people with diabetes,” explains Diabetes.co.uk.
What’s more, studies have also shown that drinking water could help control blood glucose levels.
As Diabetes.co.uk explains, water can help to lower blood sugar levels by enabling more glucose to be flushed out of the blood.
How to monitor the carb content of different foods
The glycaemic index (GI) can help you to assess which carbs will send your blood sugar levels soaring.
It is a rating system for foods containing carbohydrates.
It shows how quickly each food affects your blood sugar (glucose) level when that food is eaten on its own.
Carbohydrate foods that are broken down quickly by your body and cause a rapid increase in blood glucose have a high GI rating.
High GI foods include:
- Sugar and sugary foods
- Sugary soft drinks
- White bread
- Potatoes
- White rice.
Type 2 diabetes – symptoms to spot
Many people have type 2 diabetes without realising. This is because symptoms do not necessarily make you feel unwell.
Symptoms of type 2 diabetes include:
- Peeing more than usual, particularly at night
- Feeling thirsty all the time
- Feeling very tired
- Losing weight without trying to
- Itching around your penis or vagina, or repeatedly getting thrush
- Cuts or wounds taking longer to heal
- Blurred vision.
“See a GP if you have any of the symptoms of type 2 diabetes you’re worried you may have a higher risk of getting type 2 diabetes,” advises the NHS.
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