June 4, 2011. Bill Szydlowski
credit: lululemon athleticaEvery diabetic knows that sugar in all its forms is toxic–usually. There actually are circumstances in which sugar is a diabetes-friendly food.
Diabetes is a disease defined by abnormally high blood sugar levels. The way diabetes is diagnosed is by a blood testing finding an abnormally high blood glucose level either while fasting, or after a meal. But experts disagree on the issue of whether diabetics should ever eat sugar.
For some experts, sugar is always forbidden. Even tiny amounts of sugar, experts like Dr. Richard Bernstein and Jenny Ruhl insist, raise blood sugar levels high enough to cause a phenomenon called insulin resistance. When sugar levels exceed 170 mg/dl (8 mmol/L) at any time, cells protect themselves from a flood of incoming sugar by turning off insulin receptors. When these cells turn off their insulin receptors and stop receiving sugar from the bloodstream, the pancreas produces even more insulin to attempt to force the liver and muscles to absorb sugar, and these tissues respond by turning off even more insulin receptors.
The process of insulin resistance is the reason type 2 diabetes tends to get worse and worse without treatment. And it only takes tiny amounts of carbohydrate, as little as 3 Saltine crackers or 2 teaspoons of table sugar, to send blood sugar levels so high that insulin resistance results. Bernstein and Ruhl recommend that diabetics typically eat only the equivalent of 3 to 6 Saltine crackers, half a slice of bread, or two to four teaspoons of sugar (but not all three at the same time, and not with any other carbohydrates) at any one meal. This severe carbohydrate restriction stops insulin resistance and keeps diabetes from getting worse. It also makes meal time boring.
The American Diabetes Association, on the other hand, recommends generous servings of carbohydrates at every meal, and even a small candy bar, small slice of cake, or tiny scoop of ice cream every day. Their reasoning is that a little sugary food stops sugar cravings and diabetics are better off with a little insulin resistance than a lot. Eating a little carbohydrate at every meal prevents hypoglycemia, which can be just as dangerous to long-term health and survival as insulin resistance. Any diabetic who does physical labor all day, or who is involved in a day-long physical activity (like taking a hike), needs to eat some carbohydrate, even sugar, to provide the energy for exercise.
Both approaches can work, although nearly no-carb and low-carb diabetic diets make appetite control easier. Diabetics who want to continue eating carbohydrate foods on a regular basis need to be sure to stick to exercise programs and to use a diabetic dieting and weight program like Rate Your Plate, eating just one plate of food per meal, never, ever eating more than the plan allows.
Updated June 4, 2011. Published May 20, 2011. Bill Szydlowski
