Here’s the latest question from foodpicker.org:
I have been diagnosed with pre-diabetes and a friend told me I should eat low carb and no sugar. What is considered to be low carb and low sugar in specific numbers?
Some claims that you see on a food package must meet a certain standard, for example in order for a food to claim it’s “low fat” it must have less than 3 grams of fat per serving. There is no standard for low carb. A product can claim it is “sugar-free” which means it has less than 0.5 grams of sugar per serving. “Reduced Sugar” means it has 25% less sugar than the original item.
You ask a very good question, because it would seem to make sense that if you are trying to avoid diabetes then you want to avoid sugar so why not follow a low carb, sugar-free diet? Well the answer to that is we need carbohydrates in order to live. The body breaks down carbohydrates into glucose which equals energy. In fact glucose is the primary energy source for the brain so if we didn’t take in carbohydrates we would not be able to function at all! The key is how much and what type of carbohydrates to eat. Focus on complex carbohydrates which include whole grain breads, pasta, cereals and fruits and vegetables. In general complex carbs have about 15 grams of carbs per serving. Based on the Food Guide Pyramid 6-11 servings of whole grains are recommended per day. Limit or avoid most simple carbohydrates such as soda, cakes, cookies and candy.
