People with diabetes must monitor their diet throughout their lives, especially to balance glucose at certain levels considered healthy . Therefore, patients who live with this disease must know certain notions to establish adequate control of glycemia .
In this sense, one of the aspects that most worries people with diabetes is the fact of anticipating to what extent the consumption of certain foods may have an effect on their health.
Thus, from the Diabetes Foundation they explain that in some cases estimates can be made based on the insulin dose used to obtain approximate information. Although, some studies also show some keys to control eating.
Carbohydrate consumption and glucose control
As explained by the ' Novo Nordisk Diabetes Foundation ', for each 20 grams of carbohydrates consumed through food (without adding extra rapid insulin ), the estimated increase in blood glucose is 35 – 50 mg / dl.
Blood glucose control However, they clarify that these figures may undergo certain variations in the same person as a function of different factors; For example, the time of day when carbohydrates are ingested.
Thus, these are some of the most important factors that influence the final result of glucose in blood and that people with diabetes should know. The most influential factor in this aspect is the sensitivity to insulin offered by the patient in question at each moment of the day.
Therefore, insulin must be provided exogenously in people with diabetes, so that it works in the most similar way to the production that the pancreas would make naturally.
Based on the statements of medical experts, many patients with diabetes tend to have a greater effect of basal insulin before noon, although the effects are reduced before proceed to dinner.
Therefore, the consumption of 10 grams of carbohydrates will increase less measured if it occurs at noon; but it could lead to an episode of hyperglycemia (high blood glucose levels) if taken before dinner.
To avoid any type of inconvenience, it is recommended that your doctor carry out an analysis on the behavior of your body in the face of carbohydrate intake depending on the time of day in which it takes place.
The influence of physical activity
Another key factor in determining the effects of carbohydrate consumption on the glucose levels of a person with diabetes is whether they have previously practiced physical exercise.
It must be taken into account that during the hours following physical activity, the body activates a process of transporting glucose into the muscles, which adds to the effect produced by insulin.
And it is that the body works using glucose reserves stored in muscles and liver when we perform physical activity of medium or long duration.
In this way, take 10 grams of carbohydrates during the following hours does not will affect both the levels of glucose in the blood, since the body will try to transport said glucose as quickly as possible to the muscles.
In short, the total amount of carbohydrates that a person eats is the most determining factor that can affect the maximum increase in glucose levels after each meal; this being an essential aspect to be controlled by patients with diabetes.
