The Atkins Diet

[knicks30]

Hi i just recently read some very recent articles from doctors saying that the atkins diet could be a very good way of eating for diabetics because of the low carb approach that insulin is hardly affected.

To me it makes sense cause i wouldn't mind my great aunt who is a diabetic to try the atkins or another low carb diet to help here with her blood sugar problems.

Ive read many problems concerning the Diabetic diet posted on the diabetes website that it hurts the diabetics more than helping them. Is this true?

What do you think?

[handsome]

Hi,

I happened to recently read somewhere that the ADA (American Diabetes Association) claims that diabetics should have at least 130 mg of carbs per day. (In fact, this goes for everyone, even non-diabetics)

(This already breaks the Atkins diet.)

In another place i read that recent study's show, that for the brain to function properly, one must have at least 130 mg of carbs per day.


The doctors i have spoken to in the past (most of which are highly-trained professionals, [some of which have at least 30 years experience, and are Harvard grads]) were strictly AGAINST the Atkins diet.

you should read up on this for yourself. (try google.com)

Good luck.

[JDRF-Team-LRS]

We're not physicians here, but folks with experience as diabetics or those who care for folks with diabetes.

I'd echo what SGG has posted and also add a suggestion that your aunt also learn about how her body responds to different types of carbohydrates.

Whole grains, complex carbos are friendlier on blood sugars, and your aunt may want to read about the Glycemic Index (GI).  If *she* is interested in lowering her weight and her blood sugars, it's often helpful to learn about the impact of certain carbohydrates on her blood sugar -- based on their GI.

Foods with a high GI are metabolized into glucose very quickly and tend to spike blood sugars.  These are difficult foods for Type 2s to deal with.  Often, these foods also taste very sweet and anecdotally, I've heard many folks (diabetic or not) report that if they have a little bit of candy/cake/cookies/sweet veges, then they crave more.  All those foods are high GI foods.

GI is not the only factor to consider, of course.  As SGG said, a balanced diet is really the easiest, safest way to maintain a healthy nutritional balance.  If your aunt is interested in leanring more, she can ask for a referral to a Certified Diabetes Educator or a Nutritionist who specializes in diabetes.

BTW, she's lucky to have a grand-niece/nephew like you lookin' out for her.

[JDRF-Team-sgg]

First, you must realize that there is a huge difference in the treatment of type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. For the type 2 diabetic, I also have read (from the Atkins people) that their diet is a good way to lower glucose levels. This is logical for the type 2 diabetic, for eating a fairly low-carbohydrate diet would not require the production of as much insulin by the already stressed pancreas. However, if insulin resistance is the main problem for a type 2 diabetic, then lowering the carb count may not really be the solution, and medications to help the insulin-resistance problem still may be needed. Also, most type 2 diabetics need to watch their weight, for being overweight is frequently part of the cause of their diabetes (excessive fat cells increase insulin resistance).

On the other hand, type 1 diabetics have what is sometimes called "autoimmune diabetes" and actually produce no insulin of their own (or very little insulin if they do produce any), and so lowering the carbohydrate count in their diets will not solve the problem. Insulin must be injected even when the person is not eating, and the only advantage of a low-carbohydrate diet for a type 2 diabetic would be that they perhaps would need to inject less insulin than they require when eating a normal carbohydrate amount, and therefore may have a slightly easier time of managing highs and lows since less insulin means less margin for possible error.

Many dieticians feel that the extremely low carbohydrate count in the Atkins diet can lead eventually to heart disease because the diet is higher in fat than a normal diet with a balance of fruits and grains in addition to smaller portions of meat. So any extreme in diet may be less than ideal in the long run for overall health than the old-fashioned well-balance diet that diabetics are encouraged to eat. However, some modifications such as lowering carbohydrate intake may be beneficial to a type 2 diabetic if common sense is applied and fats are watched and food groups are still represented for a good balance of nutrition.

My advice would be for your great aunt to discuss this approach with her doctor, who should be the person best-suited to evaluate her overall glucose levels and other health issues and make a recommendation.