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Some sweet news

Saying no to sugar? There’s no need to avoid sweets altogether

The latest nutrition recommendations for diabetes mellitus of the American Diabetic Association (ADA) are out. These reflect expert opinion, clinical trials and meta-analysis of trials and studies. They define the dos and don’ts of nutrition in diabetes. The guidelines reinforce many established principles, but they also overthrow a few cherished notions.

Sugar: Common table sugar (sucrose) is unpopular with diabetics. However, the latest guidelines say one need not restrict intake of sugar and sugar-containing foods in a diabetic diet for fear of increasing blood sugar levels. One need not be paranoid about sugar. The couple of teaspoons of sugar in a cup of tea are probably not harmful. One can substitute sucrose for other sources of carbohydrate in the diet, provided the calories are covered with insulin or drugs. There is no evidence that sugar increases blood glucose levels more than starch. However, one should not exceed the overall calorie limits on carbohydrate in a meal. These recommendations do not give licence to gorge on chocolates, ice cream and sweets — these foods are high in saturated fat, and excess consumption is harmful to health and teeth.

Fructose: Honey, rich in fructose, is the preferred sweetener for many diabetics — the assumption being it does not raise blood sugar levels as much as sucrose does. This is true, but fructose can adversely affect blood lipid lev els, and the ADA does not recommend its use as a sweetener.

However, there is no reason to avoid fructose-containing foods such as fruits and vegetables — these foods are healthy and contain very low amount of fructose.

The ADA endorses the use of aspartame, saccharin, acesulfame potassium, neotame and sucralose as non-nutritive sweeteners. These sweeteners are safe in diabetics, and the ADA endorses their use even in pregnant women.

RAJIV M.

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