What are the dietary taboos for diabetic patients? What foods should diabetics avoid in their daily lives? Let me explain the dietary restrictions for diabetics.
1. Low-sodium, High-fiber Diet
A high-sodium diet can increase blood volume, induce high blood pressure, add to the burden on the heart, cause atherosclerosis, and worsen diabetic complications. Therefore, diabetics should opt for a low-sodium diet, with daily salt intake controlled to within 3 grams. Soluble fiber, on the other hand, helps improve the metabolism of fats, cholesterol, and sugar, and can aid in weight loss, so it's recommended to consume more of these foods in moderation.
2. Limit Starch-rich Foods and Avoid High-sugar Foods
Starch-rich foods (rice, white flour, potatoes, beans, grains) are mainly broken down into carbohydrates after entering the body. Although carbohydrates are a primary source of energy for the body, they can be directly converted into sugar, so their intake must be limited. Otherwise, the condition will become uncontrollable. Diabetics must avoid sugar (white sugar, brown sugar, glucose, fruit sugar, maltose, milk candy, chocolate, honey) and sugary products (candied fruits, canned fruits, various sugary drinks, sugary pastries, jam, preserved fruits). These foods can cause a rapid rise in blood sugar levels, directly worsening the condition and interfering with diabetes treatment. Therefore, they must be strictly prohibited.
3. Limit Intake of Fats and Proteins
Diabetes itself is a disorder of sugar, fat, and protein metabolism caused by an absolute or relative deficiency in insulin secretion. Furthermore, diabetes is prone to complicating atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, the intake of high-fat and high-cholesterol foods such as animal organs, egg yolks, roe, fatty meat, squid, shrimp, and crab roe must be strictly limited to avoid worsening lipid metabolism disorders and causing hyperlipidemia. Diabetes is also prone to complicating diabetic nephropathy, and excessive protein intake can increase the burden on the kidneys. Therefore, protein intake for diabetic patients should be moderate. The American Diabetes Association recommends that the daily protein intake for diabetics should be limited to no more than 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight.
4. Avoid Spicy Foods
Diabetic patients often experience symptoms like excessive hunger, polyphagia, and excessive thirst, with a fundamental deficiency in yin and a manifestation of dry-heat. Spicy foods like chili, ginger, mustard, and pepper are considered warm in nature and can easily deplete body fluids, exacerbating dry-heat. Therefore, diabetics should avoid these condiments.
5. Stay Away from Alcohol and Tobacco
Alcohol is pungent and hot and can directly interfere with the body's energy metabolism, worsening the condition. If consumed while taking hypoglycemic medications, alcohol can cause a sharp drop in blood sugar, inducing hypoglycemia and affecting treatment. Additionally, ethanol can accelerate the metabolism of hypoglycemic drugs, significantly shortening their half-life and affecting the drug's efficacy. Therefore, diabetics must abstain from alcohol.