Diabetes has become a common ailment today. There are more people being detected with diabetes than ever before.
Diabetes is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by increased sugar levels (hyperglycemia) resulting from relative/absolute deficiency of insulin or impaired action on target tissue or both. The chronic nature of diabetes is associated with long term damage, dysfunction and failure of various organs. Hence, effective self- diabetes control is essential.
Along with the use of appropriate medication/insulin as required, a diabetic should also pay attention on to his/her dietary pattern. Few measures well taken could prove beneficial for their sugar and insulin levels.
The primary concern for a diabetic is the intake of carbohydrates because the body uses them as the primary source of energy. Simple or easily digestible carbohydrate foods like refined flour products, juices, sugar should be limited/ avoided within the diet, since they tend to increase the post- prandial levels.
Hence, intake of lente carbohydrate should be included within the diet apart from complex carbohydrates. Lente carbohydrates are slowly absorbed within the body, due to the presence of high amounts of viscous fiber within them, thereby delaying gastric emptying time. They also reduce the glycemic response of a meal.
Slow absorption has been shown to have beneficial effects such as improved insulin sensitivity (i.e. easy acceptance of insulin by the target cells within the body), thereby lowering the insulin requirements; decreased LDL/ Bad cholesterol, decreased clotting factors leading to reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD’s).
Lente carbohydrates are readily available in the foods such as legumes (viz lentils,Split grams, Kidney beans, green peas etc. ) soaked pulses, cereal oat bran & barley; most of them being a part of the staple diet.
Thus, lente carbohydrates would not only help in maximizing diabetes control but also provides preventive measures against CVD’s…
