Diabetic how much carb should i eat

According to the Obesity Action Coalition , excessive body fat can cause a person at risk of developing type 2 diabetes to have less effective insulin , which can raise blood sugar levels. As a result, people who have obesity may need fewer carbohydrates. People with prediabetes may also benefit from lowering their carbohydrate intake. Making dietary changes can help someone prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes.

According to the American Diabetes Association ADA , eating too many carbohydrates causes hyperglycemia high blood sugar in people with diabetes. Hyperglycemia causes symptoms such as:. If someone with diabetes continues to have high blood sugar levels, they may develop ketoacidosis. Ketoacidosis is a severe and life-threatening condition that requires immediate treatment.

The symptoms include:. People with diabetes can also develop complications if their blood sugar levels fall too low, which causes hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia can cause mild or no symptoms, so it is essential that people check their blood glucose levels regularly.

The symptoms of hypoglycemia include:. Hypoglycemia requires quick treatment. Severe hypoglycemia can be life-threatening. To avoid hypoglycemia, a person should make sure their medication and carbohydrate intake match each other, that they eat regularly, and that they take any exercise and illness into account. Many foods contain carbohydrates. According to the CDC , some common sources of carbohydrates include:.

However, some types of carbohydrates are more beneficial than others for people with diabetes. According to the ADA , there are three broad types of carbohydrate that deserve particular attention:.

The ADA recommend that people get most of their carbohydrates from unprocessed carbohydrate sources, such as whole grains and vegetables, rather than white bread or baked goods. By contrast, fiber can actively reduce blood sugar levels, aid digestion, and reduce the risk of heart disease. As such, people with diabetes should avoid foods containing added sugar and refined carbohydrates and focus on vegetables, fruits, and whole grain sources.

A person can find out the most suitable amount of carbohydrates for them by counting them. According to the NIDDK , counting carbohydrates can help someone understand how many carbohydrates they need to eat to reach their target blood sugar level. A meal high in protein and fat can change how quickly the body absorbs carbs, which impacts blood sugar levels. Continuous glucose monitoring CGM or self-monitoring of blood glucose can also help, especially for insulin dosing.

Whether you count each carb gram or use one of the other meal planning methods, you'll want to choose foods that are rich in nutrients. Opt for whole foods that are unprocessed and in their natural state, such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains and lean proteins. Processed foods, such as packaged cookies, crackers and other snack foods, usually contain added salt, sugar, carbohydrates, fat or preservatives. Even small changes can have huge results! Log in menu Manage Account Search.

Donate now. Carb Counting and Diabetes. Type 1: If you have type 1 diabetes, your pancreas no longer makes insulin, so you need to take background insulin as well as offset the carbs in your food with mealtime insulin doses. To do this, you have to know exactly how many carbohydrate grams are in your meal—cue carb counting! To avoid blood sugar spikes, it helps to eat a consistent amount of carbs at meals throughout the day, rather than all at once.

People taking oral medications may use a more basic form of carb counting than those on insulin. How do you count carbs? How many carbs should I eat? How many carbs are in my food? As they do, blood sugar levels fall. However, diabetes affects how people are able to produce or use insulin. In people with type 1 diabetes , their pancreas is unable to make insulin. People with type 2 diabetes can't make enough insulin, or their cells have stopped responding to it effectively, so glucose builds up in the blood.

In both types of diabetes, this can lead to dangerously high blood sugar levels if not treated. Consistently high blood sugar levels can damage blood vessels, eyes, feet, kidneys, and the heart.

Put another way, for a 2, calories diet that equates to about three or four servings of carbohydrates. For those with diabetes, eating well is not just a matter of counting grams and calories, though. Simple carbs hit the bloodstream quickly and can lead to a higher spike in blood sugar levels compared to complex carbs.

The American Diabetes Association used to recommend that people eat at least grams of carbs per day, but changed their position in , saying that low-carb diets are a promising way to manage diabetes. One way to do that is by following a low-carb, high-fat ketogenic diet , which is generally defined as eating no more than 50 grams of carbohydrates per day.

When the body lacks carbs, you have less glucose in the blood for energy. To survive, your body enters a state called ketosis , where the body produce ketones that allow it to use fat as an alternate source of energy in place of glucose.

People on the ketogenic diet eat mainly meat, shellfish, eggs, nuts, salad, vegetables, and cheese. The key is to consume more fat than carbs so your body uses ketones for energy, which does not spike blood glucose levels. The diet has had impressive results in research trials and in patients, says William Yancy , associate professor of medicine and director of the Duke Diet and Fitness Center at Duke University.