Great news for diabetics

Type 2 diabetes - characterized by high blood sugar levels - can cause serious health risks. Complications include heart disease, kidney failure and vision problems.

Along with exercise and medication, diet is an important way to control blood sugar levels. But in reality, dieting for diabetes is not easy, according to the medical website Medical Express.

A new study just published in the research journal The Conversation has found very good news for diabetics, who can still control their blood sugar well without having to follow a complicated diet.

Type 2 diabetes - characterized by high blood sugar levels, which can cause serious health risks

Accordingly, focusing on when to eat, rather than what or how much to eat, has similar effects as dieting in controlling blood sugar.

Scientists at Australian Catholic University and Latrope University (Australia) conducted a study on 52 diabetic patients taking two types of drugs, aged 35 to 65.

Participants were divided into two groups: a diet group and a time-restricted eating group. Both groups received four counseling sessions over the first four months.

For the diet group, counseling sessions focused on dietary changes to control blood sugar, including improving diet quality (e.g., eating more vegetables and limiting alcohol).

The time-restricted eating group focused on limiting eating hours to 9 hours from 10am to 7pm.

Over the course of 6 months, participants had their average HbA1c blood sugar measured every 2 months. And every 2 weeks, they also reported changes in their diet (what or when they ate).

The results were surprising: Time-restricted eating was as effective as dieting, according to Medical Express.

Specifically, both groups reduced blood sugar levels, with the most noticeable effect after the first 2 months, and some people even lost weight (5-10 kg).

Notably, the time-restricted eating group adjusted well and were able to adhere to the restricted eating window, and some even slept better.

In contrast, the dieting group was less likely to adhere to the diet. Although both methods produced similar results, time-restricted eating was much simpler than dieting.

Although both methods produce similar results, time-restricted eating is much simpler than dieting.

The message is simple, just focus on when you eat. This makes time-restricted eating easier to implement because it involves changing the timing, not the types of foods you eat.

Many people with diabetes have difficulty sticking to a diet, so time-restricted eating has become an effective alternative strategy to dieting.

However, the study authors advise that people, no matter what diet they follow, should try to prioritize vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean meats and healthy fats.

What is time restricted eating?

Time-restricted eating is limiting the time of day you eat without focusing on what you eat. For example, eating breakfast at 10 or 11 am and dinner at 7 pm, you won't eat anything before breakfast and after dinner, so you may eat less.

Giving the body a break from digesting food for a sustained period of time in this way helps to regulate eating in line with its natural circadian rhythm, which may help regulate metabolism and improve overall health, the authors explain.

Diabetics may benefit in particular. They tend to have the highest blood sugar levels in the morning. Delaying breakfast until 10am means allowing time for physical activity to help lower blood sugar levels and prepare the body for the first meal.

It is important to note that time-restricted eating may not be appropriate for everyone, especially those who take medications after eating. It is best to consult your doctor before trying this diet.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/phat-hien-tin-rat-vui-cho-nguoi-benh-tieu-duong-185241031221130721.htm