There's little doubt that diet plays an important role in diabetes control. What a diabetic eats directly affects blood sugar and insulin levels. It's also an important factor in preventing the many complications associated with diabetes including the number one killer of diabetics – heart disease. But, what is the best diet for diabetes control and the prevention of diabetic complications such as heart disease? A new study sheds some light on this issue. It compares a traditional low-fat diet with a Mediterranean-style diet to determine which is the better diet for diabetes control and management.

    In this study, researchers assigned 215 people with diabetes to either a low-fat diet or a Mediterranean type low carb diet for four years. The researchers were interested in which diet for diabetes would prove best for keeping people off of diabetes medications. What did they find? The Mediterranean diet proved superior to the traditional low-fat diet. In fact, only forty-four percent of the participants on the Mediterranean diet required medications, while seventy percent of the ones who followed a low-fat diet ended up needing medications to control their blood sugars over the four year period.

    A Mediterranean diet for diabetes control had other health benefits as well. The group who ate the Mediterranean diet showed improvement in their risk factors for heart disease and also experienced greater weight loss compared to the low-fat diet group. This is of particular importance since a lower weight means better blood sugar control. Heart disease is the most common cause of death in diabetic patients, so any diet that reduces the risk of heart disease is beneficial for this group.

    What are the components of a Mediterranean diet for diabetes control? The Mediterranean diet emphasizes whole grains, fresh fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Less emphasis is placed on meat and when meat is eaten it's usually fish which is rich in heart-healthy omega-3's. Mediterranean cooks also use heart-healthy olive oil and avoid any foods or ingredients that contain trans-fats. In some areas of the Mediterranean, residents eat up to nine servings of fruits and vegetables a day. The Mediterranean diet is a healthy diet not only for diabetics, but also for anyone who's interested in achieving better health.

    The bottom line? A Mediterranean diet for diabetes control is almost a no-brainer. This diet is heart-healthy, rich in fiber, and low in simple, processed carbs – all of which work in a diabetic's favor. The best way to transition over to a Mediterranean diet is to start substituting whole grains for processed grains and eat more fresh vegetables, fruits, and nuts in place of starchy side dishes and desserts. Not only will this help to better control blood sugars, but it may be the key to a healthier heart – something everyone can use.

    毫無疑問飲食在糖尿病控制過程中占有十分重要的作用。糖尿病患者吃什么東西將直接影響到他的血糖和胰島素高低。飲食同樣對糖尿病引發的很多并發癥其中包括糖尿病的一大殺手--心臟病，有著非常重要的預防作用。但是什么飲食是對控制糖尿病和預防糖尿病并發癥如心臟病，最好的飲食呢？一項最新的研究給了我們一線希望。它與傳統低脂肪飲食方式相比，地中海式飲食將決定那種飲食方式將對糖尿病的控制和管理更為有利。

    在這項研究中，研究者對215名糖尿病患者分別進行了為期四年的低脂肪飲食和地中海式低碳酸飲食。研究人員對證明那種飲食對糖尿病患者最有利，能夠使人們遠離糖尿病的困擾充滿興趣。他們發現什么了嗎？地中海式飲食被證明優于傳統的低脂肪飲食方式。事實上，在這四年中，只有44%的參與地中海式飲食的患者需要藥物治療，而70%參與低脂肪飲食方式的患者最終需要藥物治療來控制他們的血糖。

    地中海式飲食方式不但可以控制糖尿病，還對身體健康有其他好處。才用地中海式飲食方式的患者證明，這種飲食方式可以降低心臟病的危險因素，并且與低脂肪飲食方式相比可以更快的減肥。這一點是非常重要因為體重減輕說明血糖得到很好的控制。在糖尿病患者中，因心臟病死亡，是導致糖尿病死亡的最普遍的原因；因而任何可以降低心臟病發病率的飲食都是對所有糖尿病患者有益處的。

    可以控制糖尿病的地中海式飲食方式的組成成分是什么呢？地中海式飲食方式強調全粒谷物、新鮮水果、蔬菜以及堅果的攝入。堅持少吃肉類，如果吃肉，則應該吃含有對心臟健康有利的歐米茄3的魚肉。地中海式飲食方式的烹飪要求用對心臟健康有好處的橄欖油，并且避免含有反脂肪的任何食物或者成分。在地中海的一些地區，當地居民一天要吃掉九份水果和蔬菜。地中海式飲食方式是一種健康的飲食方式，不但是因為它可以控制糖尿病，而且還因為它對所有追求健康的人們都有好處。

    底線什么呢？地中海式飲食方式對控制糖尿病時極為容易的。這種飲食方式對心臟健康也極為有利，富含纖維，低簡單處理過的碳酸--所有這些在控制糖尿病過程中都是有益處的。轉變為地中海式飲食方式的最佳方法是開始用全粒谷物老替代加工過的谷物，多吃新鮮水果和蔬菜，用堅果替代飯后糕點和甜點。這樣不僅能幫助控制血糖，可能還是心臟健康的關鍵--人人可用的東西。