Many people dealing with diabetes have to rely on insulin injections to boost insulin production and stabilise their blood sugar level. This is touted as a reliable mechanism to manage the condition. It helps regulate the movement of sugar into the liver, muscles and fat cells. However, injecting insulin into the body may also cast the risk of weight gain and the loss of control of blood sugar levels. This can be a tricky situation for diabetics who want to combat diabetes without developing any further risk of other health problems. For such people, the findings of a new study may bring some relief that clams to have found out a better way of managing diabetes.
The study that was published in the journal Diabetes Care suggests that changing eating pattern could help manage diabetes better than insulin injections. It also stated that insulin injections could also trigger a vicious cycle of higher insulin doses, and increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, apart from weight loss. The researchers suggest eating a starch-rich breakfast and light dinner that could work as a healthier alternative to insulin injection treatment.
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Healthy eating habits may be a great alternative to insulin injections for diabetes
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Lead author Prof. Daniela Jakubowicz of TAU's Sackler Faculty of Medicine and Wolfson Medical Center's Diabetes Unit said, "The traditional diabetic diet specifies six small meals spread throughout the day. But our research proposes shifting the starch-rich calories to the early hours of the day. This produces a glucose balance and improved glycemic control among type 2 diabetics."
The team of researchers analysed the effects of three-meal diet (3M-diet) on patients dealing with type 2 diabetes, in comparison to the traditional six meal diet (6M-diet). The experimental 3M-diet included breakfast of bread, fruits and sweets; a substantial lunch; and a light meal at night that eliminated starches, sweets and fruits. They discovered that the participants on the 6M-diet did not lose weight and did not experience any improvement of sugar levels, requiring an increase in medication and insulin doses. On the other hand, the participants on the 3M-diet not only lost weight but also experienced a significant improvement in sugar levels
"We believe through this it will be possible for diabetics to significantly reduce or even stop the injections of insulin, and most of antidiabetic medications, to achieve excellent control of glucose levels," Jakubowicz concluded.