All of us have different metabolic system and different digestive system. Same food is digested in a different way in different people. It is because of the difference in gut bacteria, most of which are good bacteria. Our body is host for millions of bacteria, which are not just dependent on what we eat, but they are also responsible for digesting the food. A slight difference in type and count of these bacteria, impacts the outcome of the food, in terms of both calories and nutrients. All food items increase the blood sugar, but their scale differs. Similarly how the food is digested also matters, which is never taken into consideration. Most of us are simply living around a myth that potatoes are bad, as it may increase the blood sugar.
Dietitians use Glycemic Index(GI) to measure the blood glucose spiking capability of a food item. Usually carbohydrates are responsible increasing the blood sugar, so GI of carbohydrate-rich foods is high. Potatoes are one of the most carbohydrate rich food. Most of the people still think that GI is the right way to judge a food item, but recent researches have shown that GI judges a food right only if that food item is consumed alone. In actual life we never eat a food item alone. We eat a mixed diet. Potatoes are often consumed with some other food item. Now researchers have found that potatoes in evening meal are better than some of the other low-GI food items. Evening meal is often considered important for type 2 diabetic people as it spikes the blood glucose in night, when there is no physical activity to consume the calories.
Similarly some researches have shown than our gut bacteria also impact the blood glucose increasing capability of different food items. Same food item affect blood glucose levels in different manner in different people irrespective of the Glycemic Index (GI) of the food.
But if it is so then how should we judge whats better for a diabetic person to eat?
It is a tough question to answer, as it depends on your gut bacteria, your digestive health and your metabolism. Every food affects differently on every individual. So the best way to judge the right food for you requires a little knowledge of your own body. How we can do it may require some efforts and technology to gather data about your body. If you are diabetic then you should prepare a diet diary, where you write every meal ingredients. Also measure your blood glucose levels at regular intervals (using a home glucose monitor) and write it down with date and time. After collecting this data for few weeks or a month, you need to analyse that data. Here you should try to find out those food items which increase your blood glucose more and also find those food items which don't spike your blood glucose.
Now prepare your diet chart as per your analysis, so that your blood sugar don't go up. Continue your diet diary and blood glucose monitoring for further analysis. Further analysis should be a part of your life, as our gut bacteria don't always remain same, they may change with season and our diet pattern. So don't totally avoid any food item. You should eat very small quantities of even those food items which are not good as per your analysis. Totally avoiding any food item may not be a healthy practice as every food item have its own set of nutrients, which might not be there in others.
Our body is our actual residence for our whole life. Just like every house it also need some regular maintenance. So give some time to your body, listen to its needs and understand the signals that it tells you before surrendering to any disease.
We hope that this article from betterhealthfacts.com might help the diabetic people in deciding what is better for their body. In the end you should know that you don't prescribe your diet to anyone else, as that diet might not suit them. What is your view on this article, please mention it in comments section.
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