(BlackDoctor.org) — Also known as childhood-onset diabetes, type 1 diabetes requires regular blood sugar tests and medical intervention. According to research or other evidence, the following self-care steps may be helpful: What You Need To Know: Go for the chromium Under the supervision of a doctor, take 200 mcg a day of this essential trace mineral to improve glucose tolerance Fight back with fiber Under a doctor’s supervision, stabilize your blood sugar by eating fiber from whole grains, beans (legumes), vegetables, and fruit, and consider using a fiber supplement such as psyllium or guar gum Protect with alpha lipoic acid Protect against diabetic complications, such as nerve and kidney damage, by taking 600 to 1,200 mg of this supplement per day Discover EPO Help relieve pain from diabetic neuropathy by taking 4 grams of evening primrose oil supplements per day Get to know niacinamide Talk to a knowledgeable healthcare provider to determine if taking large amounts of thesupplement niacinamide might prevent or limit the severity of type 1 diabetes in your family These recommendations are not comprehensive and are not intended to replace the advice of your doctor or pharmacist. Continue reading the full diabetes article for more in-depth, fully-referenced information on medicines, vitamins, herbs, and dietary and lifestyle changes that may be helpful. Dietary changes that may be helpful Eating carbohydrate-containing foods, whether high in sugar or high in starch (such as bread, potatoes, processed breakfast cereals, and rice), temporarily raises blood sugar and insulin levels. The blood sugar–raising effect of a food, called its “glycemic index,” depends on how rapidly its carbohydrate is absorbed. Many starchy foods have a glycemic index similar to table sugar (sucrose). Beans, peas, fruit, and oats have low glycemic indexes, despite their high carbohydrate content, due mostly to the health-promoting effects of soluble fiber. Controlled studies havefound that people with type 1 diabetes who follow a low-glycemic-index diet have better long-term control over their blood sugar levels compared with those following a high-glycemic-index diet. However, other studies find similar benefits from training patients to adjust their insulin doses according to the total carbohydrate content of each meal or snack (“carbohydrate counting”). People with type 1 diabetes should always discuss changes in their diet with their treating physician. Diabetes disrupts the mechanisms by which the body controls blood sugar. Until recently, health professionals have recommended sugar restriction to people with diabetes, even though short-term high-sugar diets have been shown, in some studies, not to cause blood sugar problems in people with diabetes. Currently, the American Diabetic Association (ADA) guidelines do not prohibit the use of moderate amounts of sugar, as long as blood levels of glucose, triglycerides, and cholesterol are maintained withinnormal levels. Most doctors recommend that people with diabetes cut intake of sugar from snacks and processed foods, and replace these foods with high-fiber, whole foods. This tends to lower the glycemic index of the overall diet and has the additional benefit of increasing vitamin, mineral, and fiber intake. Other authorities also recommend lowering the glycemic index of the diet to improve the control of diabetes. Older studies suggested that including 30 grams per day or more of fiber helps control blood sugar in type 1 diabetes. However, a more recent controlled study of people with well-controlled type 1 diabetes on intensive insulin regimens found no important benefits from consuming a high-fiber diet. In another trial, a low-glycemic-index diet containing 50 grams per day of fiber improved blood sugar control and helped prevent hypoglycemic episodes in a group of people with type 1 diabetes taking two or more insulin injections per day. Consuming more fiber may not be as helpfulin type 1 diabetes when modern intensive insulin regimens are used, but eating high-fiber foods is recommended for its many other health benefits.
