
How EVOO can benefit people with Type 1 Diabetes
People with Type 1 Diabetes are well aware that for the best control of their blood sugar they must try to ensure that they include in their diets a high proportion of those foods with low Glycaemic Index (GI) in terms of their carbohydrate intake. This ensures that their blood sugar will rise more slowly after meals and therefore leads to better overall diabetic control. However, many people find it difficult to stick to the optimal diet and consumption of high GI foods is common. A recent study from the University of Naples,1 looked at the quality of the fats in the diet of people with Type 1 diabetes and in particular the blood glucose response when high GI meals with the same carbohydrate content but different types of fats are consumed. The research took three different fats: Low Fat, Saturated Fat (in this instance butter) and Monounsaturated fat (EVOO) and compared the rates of blood glucose rise in the different groups. Results clearly showed that in the EVOO group, the rate of rise over the three hours after the meal was significantly lower than in the other two groups. The researchers concluded that using EVOO as the fat contribution in a high GI meal can attenuate the early part of the post meal response in Type 1 diabetes and that this can affect the optimal insulin dosage regime. They suggested that the quality of fat in the diet needs consideration when patients are still finding it difficult to stick to a low GI diet.