Type 2 diabetes is a major health challenge for most nations of the world, including Mauritius. The prevalence of diagnosed diabetes is roughly seven times higher among adults aged 65 years or older (Evert et al., 2014).
Nutrition management in diabetes is a key clinical requirement for health quality and reduction of the risks for secondary complications. The recommended diet can be defined as a meal plan based on a nutrition assessment and mutually accepted treatment goals and outcomes. People with diabetes often struggle with weight in part due to poor nutritional habits and unhealthy food choices that impact on their blood glucose levels. Nutrition therapy is recommended early on as part of the patients’ daily diabetes care plan. In fact, the American Diabetes Association recommends nutrition therapy as an effective component of a comprehensive treatment plan (Evert et al., 2014).
Glycemia-targeted specialized nutrition supplement has been clinically proven to lower blood glucose response (Devitt et al., 2012; Elia et al., 2005; Fix et al., 2001). One study has reported that compared to a common breakfast, a glycemia-targeted nutrition shake led to 38% reduction in postprandial blood glucose, potentiation of insulin response and even significantly enhanced the release of the appetite suppressing hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) (Devitt et al., 2012). Similarly, supplement formulated with plant-based phytosterols are known to improve cardiovascular health. Clinical studies have shown that daily consumption of 1-3 grams of phytosterols can lead to a 5%–15% reduction in low-density lipoproteins (LDL) (Evert et al., 2014). Generally, supplements are also enriched with antioxidants (namely vitamins C and E and selenium) which are proven to support the immune system. Moreover, formulated shakes often contain a high composition of slow-digesting and low-glycemic carbohydrates which help lower blood glucose response. Such advanced nutrition exclusively designed for people with diabetes can be prescribed as a daily part of a healthy meal plan for patients with type 2 diabetes.
This article is intended for medical professionals.
Prepared by:
Dr Reshma Ramracheya
Diabetes UK RD Lawrence Research Fellow
Senior Research Fellow at Wolfson College
University of Oxford, UK
Reshma.ramracheya@ocdem.ox.ac.uk
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