In the previous blog How do Carbohydrate Impact Blood Sugar | मधुमेह में क्या खाना चाहिए | Diet for Diabetes, we discussed the fundaments of foods, Carbohydrate-restricted diet for diabetic patients, and what to eat and avoid in diabetes.
In this blog, we will discuss different food groups and their impact on blood sugar. What is the concept of carbohydrates and net carbohydrates?
Why it is important to check the net carbohydrate of a product before consuming it for a diabetic person?
Components of food:
Now it’s quite clear to you that carbohydrate-rich food items are responsible for the increase in blood glucose levels. Food plays a major role in pre-diabetes and diabetes. There are two components in our food, macronutrients and micronutrients. The macronutrients are fat, protein, water, and carbohydrates, whereas the micronutrients are vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. The micronutrients have no influence on blood sugar levels or the macronutrients except carbohydrates. This carbohydrate triggers the blood sugar level to climb. In a usual scenario, the sugar present in our blood is utilized by the cells with the help of insulin for the production of energy.
Diabetes is a simple disorder, not a disease, it can be controlled with proper knowledge and discipline. Once there was a king named Solomon, of ancient Israel, who claimed if anyone wanted to succeed in life, diligence was the only quality he should have. You should take each and every step carefully if you want to reverse your diabetes.
Components of Carbohydrates:
So today let's break down carbohydrates, to determine their role in diabetes. Carbohydrate, which is the fundamental component of energy, is identified in the scientific world by the short formula C6H12O6, which is the basic building block of all carbohydrates. Upon closer examination, carbohydrates can be classified as: -
Monosaccharide
contains a single glucose molecule which can be further divided into 3 categories: -
Despite having the same chemical formula C6H12O6, their activities are distinct. where glucose raises blood sugar levels far more quickly than fructose and galactose.
- Glucose can be obtained from Honey, and dried fruits like dates, apricots, etc.
- Fructose is obtained from fruit, that's why fructose is commonly referred to as fruit sugar.
- Galactose can be obtained from dairy products like cheese, butter, and yogurt. Most carbohydrates are made up of the sweeteners galactose, fructose, and glucose together.
Disaccharide:
Disaccharide is formed by the binding of two monosaccharides.
Maltose is an ingredient in beverages like Bonvita and Horlicks. As it is formed by the association of two glucose molecules, it raises the blood sugar levels.
In the digestion process, the disaccharide is broken down by various digestive enzymes (chemicals that help in the breakdown of complex food into simple food) into monosaccharides. Following that, the body absorbs the monosaccharides resulting in an increase in blood sugar levels. In the case of maltose, it is broken down in the stomach by various enzymes to form glucose. Glucose thereby gets into the blood and it is responsible for the increase in blood sugar levels.
The sugar cubes that are used as a sweetener in tea, coffee, and other food items are nothing but sucrose. Which fall under the category of disaccharides and are formed by the addition of glucose with fructose.
If we use lactose as an additional example, it is made up of 50% glucose and 50% galactose. One may readily estimate the quantity of sugar content in milk when drunk in huge quantities since 100ml of milk contains 5 grams of sugar. So, it can be said that a glass of milk contains 2 to 3 teaspoons of sugar. As a diabetic patient if you think that drinking milk without adding sugar will have no effect on blood sugar level for diabetic patients then you are wrong. As from the above statement, it is quite evident that milk contains inbuilt sugar in the form of lactose. If you are a diabetic patient then you can go for lactose-free milk.
Oligosaccharide:
Basically, it is formed by 3–10 monosaccharides joining to form one large molecule.
In the creation of oligosaccharides, complicated bindings of glucose, fructose, and galactose can occur in a random manner. Daily intake of various oligosaccharides through vegetables like white onions, garlic, red cabbage, green cabbage, and broccoli is common. But there are some oligosaccharides that the body cannot break, because of the absence of specific enzymes. Those oligosaccharides that cannot be broken down have no influence on blood sugar levels.
The diabexy cookies on our website include fructo-oligosaccharide, which is used as a sweetener to deliver a good and sweet taste. This oligosaccharide is not broken down; hence it has no effect on blood sugar levels. This gets out easily from the body through urine and also helps the good bacteria to grow, in the intestine which helps in the digestion process.
Some people may develop gas-related issues which can be minimized by using adequate quality according to the need.
Polysaccharides:
These are the most common carbohydrates in foods. Poly means many, they are long-chain carbohydrates made up of monosaccharide units linked together by bonds called glycosidic linkages.
Starch is a kind of glucose polymer. It is composed of amylose (15-20%) and amylopectin (80-85%). Amylose is a straight chain of several hundred glucose molecules, whereas Amylopectin is a branching molecule composed of thousands of glucose units. By breaking the glycosidic linkages, starch can be digested. Amylases are enzymes that help humans to digest carbohydrates. In the human diet, potatoes, rice, wheat, and maize are major sources of starch Which increases the blood sugar level.
Bran, which is the outer covering of grain seed is also a type of polysaccharide that the body cannot digest, so we call these substances fibers.
Those carbohydrates that cannot be broken down by the body and imparts no effect on blood sugar level are fibers.
There are two scientific terms:-
- Glycemic carbohydrate (which raises blood sugar levels)
- Non-glycemic carbohydrate (which does not raise blood sugar levels).
The net content of carbohydrates that affect our blood sugar levels can be calculated by:-
Net carbohydrates (GLYCEMIC CARBS) =Total carbohydrates - Fibers (Nonglycemic carbs).
Foods that contain a low value of net carbohydrates can be used by diabetic patients.
Now the main question that arises in our mind is which food items have no influence on the blood sugar level. Listed below are some food items where one can draw a basic idea that as a diabetic patient which food items they should take.
- Fats and oil: - Butter, Desi ghee, coconut oil, and palm oil have 0% carbohydrates, 0% protein, and 100% fat.
- Proteins: - Fish (13-20% protein, 1-20% fats, and 60-82% water), Egg (6gm protein, 5gm fats, and 0.56gm carbohydrates in a single egg), Red meat (22-27gm protein, 45% fats ) per 100gm, White meat (29gm protein, 11% fats) per 100gm, Soybeans (38-42% protein, 18-22% oil)
- Vegetables: - 70-80% water, 7% fats and proteins and 10% carbohydrates. Avoid starchy vegetables like sweet potato, potato, and yam that contain more carbohydrates than green vegetables.
To counteract the rise in blood glucose levels, one should examine the nutrient content of a food item and then take appropriate action. Diabexy is here for the novel cause and would love to collaborate with you to entirely eliminate diabetes. We have a variety of food items and supplements for everyday use that will help to control your blood sugar levels. Our diabetes reversal program has assisted by many people in reversing diabetes and continues to assist thousands. Please do not hesitate to contact us whenever necessary. If you are a diabetic book a free consultation now.
In our next blog Which Food Raises How Much Sugar | एक Apple खाने से कितना Blood Sugar बढ़ता है |, we will explain the concepts of Glycemic index and Glycemic load. Till then stay tuned.
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