Diabetes Diet

The relationship between eating carbohydrates and type 2 diabetes is complex. While eating carbohydrates increases the need for insulin to keep blood sugar normal, diets high in total carbohydrates do not necessarily increase the risk of type 2 diabetes. Researchers have found that diets very high in sugar may worsen glucose tolerance in nondiabetic animals and humans. However, the amount of sugar used in these studies in proportion to other foods was much larger than is typically found in human diets.

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). People eating large amounts of foods with high glycemic indexes have been reported to be at increased risk of type 2 diabetes. On the other hand, eating a diet high in carbohydrate-rich foods with low glycemic indexes is associated with a low risk of type 2 diabetes. Beans, peas, fruit, and oats have low glycemic indexes, despite their high carbohydrate content, due mostly to the health-promoting effects of soluble fiber...