Diabetes Mellitus is a disorder where the body cannot regulate glucose levels (blood sugar) normally. There are several different types of diabetes. The most common form is Type 2 Diabetes, which is most often associated with being overweight or obese. Type 2 Diabetes develops from two factors: a defect in beta cells (cells in the pancreas that make insulin) paired with insulin resistance (the insulin that is made does not work as well). Type 1 diabetes (formerly called Juvenile onset) develops when the beta cells are destroyed by the body’s immune system, and therefore do not produce insulin. Over time, if blood sugars remain elevated above the normal range, devastating complications of diabetes can occur, such as blindness, kidney failure, and nerve damage. Diabetes is also linked to an increased incidence of heart disease and stroke. Regardless of the type of diabetes, learning how different foods affect blood sugar is essential to understanding and managing the disease.
Which foods raise blood sugar the most? Carbohydrates (foods that contain sugars) that are broken down easily by our digestive tract most often cause elevations of blood sugar in diabetes.
A system called the glycemic index classifies carbohydrates based on how quickly and how high they raise the blood sugar. Examples of carbohydrate rich foods with high glycemic indexes are white bread, white rice, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, donuts, bagels and many breakfast cereals, which may cause rapid spikes in blood sugar after being ingested. Monitoring the amount and type of carbohydrate in the diet and recognizing high glycemic index foods is important in keeping blood sugars under better control. Other high calorie easily digestible food (junk food and highly processed foods) also have higher glycemic indexes, and not only elevate postmeal glucose, but can even increase postmeal cholesterol levels.1 So where does fiber fit in? Most fiber rich foods have lower glycemic indexes. They are also digested more slowly, and cause a slower change in blood sugar. Examples of fiber rich foods include whole oats, whole wheat products, brown rice, barley, most beans, and whole grain cereals. Minimally processed fiber rich foods (green leafy vegetables, nuts) can slow the stomach from emptying, so sugars may not absorb as fast. With slowing the rate of digestion, and having lower glycemic indexes, the fiber helps to blunt and decrease the spikes in glucose that can occur after eating. There are two kinds of fiber: fibers that can dissolve in water (soluble) and fibers that do not dissolve in water and pass through the body unchanged (insoluble). Plant foods usually contain a mixture of both soluble and insoluble fibers. Both types can help to stabilize blood sugar values. Therefore, a diet that is rich in fiber helps to reduce mealtime glucose fluctuations and helps to keep diabetes under better control.
