Can Diabetics follow the Mediterranean Diet?
A few people say that Mediterranean Diet is not adequate for diabetics. This is completely false. The Mediterranean Diet not only is good for diabetes but helps to prevent it. Decades ago, in the Mediterranean countries the percentage of diabetic people was much lower than nowadays. The new style of nutrition, the prepared and fast foods are increasing the number of cases.
Of course, every diabetic has to be controlled by a doctor that normally advice how to use the wide range of possibilities than the Mediterranean Diet offers. Some type of carbohydrates should be avoided, specially those containing monosaccharides and disaccharides (very sweet fruit, or dried fruit and ordinary sugar).
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Table. Comparison between the Mediterranean Diet and other diet plans |
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| Diet plan | Fat content | Carbohydrate content |
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| Ornish Pritikin |
Very low (10%) | Very high |
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| AHA Step II AHA Step I DASH Weight Watchers |
Low (20%-30%) | High |
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Mediterranean Diet |
Moderate (30%-35%) | Moderate |
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| Sugar Busters Protein Power Atkins |
High (45% or higher) | Low |
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Brian M. Curtis, MD; James H. O’Keefe Jr, MD Understanding the Mediterranean Diet. Postgrad Med 2002;112(2):35-44
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