Viva!: Are You Diabetic … Without Knowing?

By KAREN JOHNSON Medical Nutritionist

EVERY day in my clinics I see people with a whole host of troublesome medical problems that are diet related. However over the past year I have seen an increasing number of people who are newly diagnosed diabetic or people who are poorly controlled diabetics.

Diabetes is becoming more common in younger people due to the increase in obesity, poor lifestyle and unhealthy diets. Diabetes is on the increase and there are nearly two million sufferers in the UK.

The health commission reported that in addition, there are almost two million people who are undiagnosed diabetics – and the majority are women. Many people have diabetes for several years before it is diagnosed.

Diabetes develops when the body is unable to deal with sugars in the diet. When we eat sugar and refined foods – such as chocolate, biscuits, cakes, jam and white bread – the level of glucose in the blood stream elevates. The hormone insulin is released from the pancreas and restores the blood sugar level to normal range.

A diabetic cannot make enough insulin, therefore the sugar level in the blood will remain high.

A high blood sugar can be very dangerous. Left untreated, there is a risk of developing complications like blindness, kidney failure, heart disease, strokes, leg ulcers and poor circulation that can lead to limb amputations.

Identifying the risk factors of diabetes and early detection will prevent the development of such conditions. In the early stages of diabetes you may not suffer with the typical symptoms and be unaware that you have the disease.

Knowing what to eat, how much to eat, and what to avoid is essential. When a diabetic follows a strict low sugar, low fat and correctly balanced carbohydrate diet, the condition will remain stable.

The balance of the five food groups has got to be right, and this is where diabetics often go wrong. Up to 50% of cases are poorly controlled, with sufferers struggling to get their condition stable. Many rely on prescribed medication, but in most cases this is unnecessary as simple dietary change is the answer.

It is very easy to see where a diabetic is going wrong with a dietary analysis, and all diabetics who come to see me do have a reduction in their blood sugars once their diet has been revised.

When I see a newly diagnosed diabetic I immediately start a structured education, dietary and lifestyle programme to get the condition under control. Remember, the better the diabetes is controlled, the lower the risk you have of developing other diseases.

The diet needs to be very carefully planned and so it is vital a diabetic receives professional dietary help. Advice is usually given in hospital, however the Diabetic Association has acknowledged that many diabetics are not given enough dietary support due to the lack of hospital resources.

Patients need individual advice as each sufferer has different levels of glucose tolerance, which makes effective treatment more difficult.

The standard of care and education for diabetes needs to improve and this is the area I am concentrating on. I am routinely screening every patient I see for diabetes, and I have been alarmed at the amount of people not known to be diabetics but who have elevated blood sugar levels. Last month I screened 21 people and found three who had a worryingly high blood sugar level and could be an undiagnosed diabetic.

You are at risk of developing diabetes if you have a history of it in the family’ if you are overweight’ have high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol’ if you have certain medical conditions such as polycystic ovary disease’ or if your diet is rich in sugars, unhealthy and unbalanced. African-Caribbean and south Asian people are five times more likely to become a diabetic.

A simple blood test will tell you what your blood sugar level is, and you will have the result within a minute. If you are in the high risk category, you need to have your blood sugar tested at least once a year for the early detection of this disease and to give you peace of mind.

And of course, health prevention is better than cure. As always, the message is to improve your diet and don’t let diet-related diseases develop.

Medical nutritionist Karen Johnson RGN, Diploma of Nutritional Medicine (Rus), runs clinics at Colwyn Bay, Abergele and Menai Bridge. To find out more about her services call Karen (freephone) on 0800 028 4744 or visit www.karenjohnsonmedicalnutritionist.co.uk

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DIABETES… THE FACTS

You may not have any symptoms in the early stages, however as diabetes progresses you may suffer from excessive thirst, excessively passing urine, tiredness, disturbed vision, recurrent infections and frequent pins and needles

Regular exercise helps the body to use the hormone insulin more effectively so helps keep diabetes more stable

Children who eat crisps, chocolates, sweets and convenience foods are at high risk of becoming overweight and developing diabetes

Women can develop it during pregnancy due to increases in hormones. Gestational diabetes can usually be controlled with diet and exercise