In daily life, milk is loved as a common drink because of its rich nutritional value.
Whether it is a developing child or an elderly person, they will drink milk to supplement their nutrition. But for diabetics, whether they can drink milk has become a topic worth exploring.
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease that requires strict control of diet and energy intake, and patients need to avoid foods that may cause a sharp rise in blood sugar to reduce the risk of blood sugar fluctuations.
Among the many dietary recommendations, the saying "diabetics should not drink milk" is endless, why is this? This article will delve into this issue and remind diabetics that while paying attention to milk, they should also be wary of several other "waters" that may be detrimental to blood sugar control.
1. Can diabetics drink milk?
Traditionally, milk has been recommended for people of all ages as a healthy drink rich in calcium and vitamin D. For diabetic patients, some patients and lay people may mistakenly believe that the lactose in milk causes a sharp increase in blood sugar and should be avoided.
Before exploring the relationship between milk and diabetes, it is important to understand the composition of milk. Most milk on the market contains a variety of nutrients such as protein, fat, sugar, vitamins and minerals. Among them, milk protein mainly includes two categories: casein and whey protein. Casein is the most important protein in milk, accounting for about 80% of the total protein in milk.
The reason why there is a saying that "diabetic patients can't drink milk" is because it has been found in animal models of type 1 diabetes that the incidence of diabetes in animal models given milk is higher than that of those who are not given milk or given milk that has broken down proteins, but these studies are basically for small-sized mice, and the mechanism of the mechanism is not clear, so it cannot be directly applied to humans.
It is even more unreasonable to say that drinking milk will cause blood sugar to rise, because the sugar content of milk is relatively low, accounting for only about 3.4%, which is much lower than many fruits and some vegetables; Moreover, lactose in milk is a relatively digestible and absorbable sugar, which has a relatively mild effect on blood sugar.
Diabetic patients should not only pay attention to dietary control, but also pay attention to calcium supplementation.
This is because most diabetic patients will lose calcium with age, and the lactose and galactose contained in milk help promote calcium absorption, which can make calcium absorption rate 87%, which has a certain effect on preventing osteoporosis.
In summary, diabetic patients can drink milk, and it is recommended that the daily intake of milk should not exceed 300g. Although drinking milk is beneficial for diabetics from the perspective of nutrients and other aspects, in addition to controlling the amount of drinking, the following points need to be noted.
- 1) Choose unsweetened milk
There are many types of milk sold on the market, including pure milk, skim milk, sweet milk, breakfast milk, etc., although they all contain more or less raw milk, but sweet milk, breakfast milk, etc. are prepared milk, added sugar and other ingredients, if the patient drinks this kind of milk, it may cause blood sugar fluctuations, which has an impact on blood sugar control.
- 2) Choose the type of milk according to your individual situation
In addition to the inability to choose sugary milk or the addition of sugar to milk consumption, the type of milk that is suitable for different patients varies. It is recommended that the average adult diabetic patient choose low-fat or skim milk, children with type 1 diabetes should choose whole milk, and patients with type 2 diabetes who also have hyperlipidemia or obesity should choose the appropriate type of milk according to their blood lipid level.
Note that if diabetic patients are accompanied by renal function decline, they should drink milk with caution, and it is best to consult a clinical dietitian before drinking it to avoid aggravating the condition.
- 3) Arrange the drinking time reasonably
The amount of time people with diabetes who drink milk every day is usually related to personal habits, but the overall attention should be paid to diet or nutritional combination. For example, if you are used to drinking it in the morning, it is not recommended to drink only milk, and you can pair it with some cereals; Patients who are accustomed to drinking before bedtime need to reduce their protein intake at dinner to maintain a reasonable total intake.
Overall, patients are advised to work with a medical professional to develop a personalized diet plan based on their individual glycemic control, eating habits, and nutritional needs. In any case, diabetics should pay close attention to their blood sugar response and seek balance and variety in their diet; Compared with milk, the three types of "water" mentioned below are more worthy of the attention of diabetic patients.
Second, if you don't want your blood sugar to soar, you should touch these 3 kinds of "water" less
Diabetics always need to be careful in their dietary choices to avoid fluctuations in blood sugar. The following three kinds of "water" should also be included in the scope of control and should be touched as little as possible.
1. Fruit juice
In reality, there is often a misconception: drinking fruit juice is the same as eating fruit. It is precisely because of this misconception that fruit juice has gradually become synonymous with health and is often regarded as a healthy drink, but this is not the case, especially for diabetics, it is not so suitable.
Compared with eating fruit directly, the fruit juice obtained after pressing is quite high in sugar, and long-term consumption of fruit juice may increase the risk of diabetes. For example, people who drink 3 glasses of apple juice a day have a 15% increased risk of diabetes; Drinking even 1 glass of orange juice a day increases the risk of diabetes by 24%.
This is because the juicing process results in a significant loss of dietary fiber and pectin from the fruit, components that in whole fruit help to provide satiety and slow digestion. Without these ingredients, the juice's satiety effect is greatly reduced. Fruit juices, on the other hand, have a higher concentration of sugar, which can be absorbed into the bloodstream more quickly due to the lack of fiber buffering, resulting in a rapid rise in blood sugar levels and an increased glycemic load. For people with diabetes, this rapid rise in blood sugar can adversely affect blood sugar control.
2. Sugar-free drinks
Before the advent of diet drinks, most patients were afraid to drink because they feared that the high sugar content in the drink would affect the effectiveness of blood sugar control. Sugar-free beverages under the banner of "sugar-free drinks without added sugar, can be consumed by diabetics" may sound like a safe choice for diabetics, but in fact they may not be the case.
Even though diet drinks don't have traditional sucrose added to them, that doesn't mean they're harmless to health. In the case of diet cola, studies have shown that such beverages may increase health risks as sugar-sweetened beverages.
Specifically, drinking 200 ml of sugar-sweetened cola per day may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes by 21%, while the same amount of diet cola may increase the risk by 18%. This suggests that although diet beverages offer a low- or sugar-free option, they may still affect blood sugar control and long-term health through other mechanisms.
After drinking sugar-free beverages, it can also stimulate people's cravings for sweets, prompting people to consume more high-sugar foods subsequently; Artificial sweeteners may also interfere with the balance of microbes in the gut, which in turn affects the body's metabolism of glucose, which may reduce the efficacy of insulin and increase the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes.
3. Instant coffee
Many diabetics have heard that drinking coffee can reduce the risk of diabetes, so they think that all coffee is fine, but this is not the case.
It is often said that drinking coffee is good for diabetes, and it is said that the chlorogenic acid component in coffee has health benefits. Chlorogenic acid helps to maintain stable blood sugar levels by inhibiting the absorption of glucose in the intestines, slowing down the rate at which sugar enters the bloodstream while promoting the metabolism of glucose in the body. Studies have found that drinking a cup of coffee a day can reduce the risk of diabetes by 7%; Drinking 3 to 4 cups of coffee per day can reduce this risk by 25%. Another large-scale study with a sample size of more than 100,000 people came to a similar conclusion, showing that people who drank coffee daily had a 31% lower risk of diabetes compared to those who did not drink coffee.
That said, the claim that drinking coffee can reduce the risk of diabetes is not unfounded, but there is often a misconception that any coffee you drink can have this effect.
Since it is a misunderstanding, it shows that this is not the case. Many diabetics often think that instant coffee and black coffee have the same health benefits when enjoying coffee, but black coffee is too bitter to drink, so they choose instant coffee as their daily drink.
Although both are coffee, there are significant differences between the two in terms of composition and effect on blood sugar. Instant coffee often adds a lot of sugar and creamer in order to enhance the flavor, and these additives not only add extra calories, but can also lead to a rapid rise in blood sugar levels, which is not good for diabetics. Conversely, black coffee is not only low in calories but also contains antioxidants such as polyphenols and alkaloids, which help control blood sugar and provide health benefits.
If a patient chooses instant coffee for daily consumption, it will inevitably cause blood sugar fluctuations in the long run.
3. Precautions for daily management of diabetic patients
The management of diabetic patients in their daily lives is not limited to diet control, but more importantly, a comprehensive health management plan. Regular monitoring of blood glucose is the cornerstone of diabetes management. Regular monitoring of blood sugar levels is essential for diabetics to help them adjust their treatment and diet plan in time to keep their blood sugar levels stable. Patients should develop an individual blood glucose monitoring plan based on their doctor's advice and follow it strictly.
Moderate exercise is equally important for people with diabetes. Moderate physical activity, such as walking, swimming, or yoga, not only increases the body's sensitivity to insulin and helps with blood sugar control, but also enhances cardiovascular health and improves overall quality of life. Patients should choose an appropriate form of exercise according to their health status and interests, and stick to it.
Paying attention to complication screening is also a part that cannot be ignored by diabetic patients. These tests help in the early detection and treatment of complications such as diabetic foot, diabetic nephropathy, etc., thereby reducing the impact of the disease on the patient's health.
Diabetic patients should implement comprehensive health management in their daily lives. Regular monitoring of blood glucose, moderate exercise, and regular screening for complications can all help patients manage their blood sugar well, improve their quality of life, and reduce health risks. Patients should also avoid fruit juices, sugar-free beverages, and alcohol, as these drinks may increase the risk of blood sugar fluctuations and diabetes complications.
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