An individualized approach is often best when it comes to carb intake for diabetes management. These guidelines can help you get started on the right path.
Share on PinterestTom Werner/Getty ImagesThere are three main types of carbs: sugars, starches, and fiber.
Sugar belongs to a category known as simple carbohydrates. Simple carbs have one sugar molecule (monosaccharides) or two sugar molecules (disaccharides).
Sugar is found naturally in foods and beverages like whole fruit, juice, milk products, and honey. It’s also added to processed foods such as candy.
Starches and fiber are both complex carbohydrates. Complex carbs have at least three sugar molecules. The body takes more time to digest, or break down, starches than sugar, and it can’t digest fiber at all.
Starches are found in foods like potatoes, corn, legumes, and whole grain bread and pasta.
Fiber is found in foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and whole grains. Many foods and beverages, such as rice, contain more than one type of carbohydrate.
How does food affect blood sugar levels?
Many factors — including exercise, stress, and illness — affect blood sugar levels. Yet one of the largest factors is what you eat.
Of the three macronutrients (carbs, protein, and fat) carbs have the greatest effect on blood sugar. That’s because your body breaks down carbs into sugar, which enters your bloodstream.
This occurs with all digestible carbs, including refined sources like chips and cookies, and whole unprocessed sources like fruits and vegetables.
When people with diabetes eat foods high in carbs, their blood sugar levels can surge. High carb intake typically requires high doses of insulin or diabetes medication to manage blood sugar.
Given that people with type 1 diabetes are unable to produce insulin, they need to inject insulin several times a day, regardless of what they eat. However, eating fewer carbs can significantly reduce their mealtime insulin dosage.
How many carbs should a person with diabetes have in a day?
Research suggests that many different levels of carb intake may help manage blood sugar. The optimal amount of carbs varies by individual.
It’s important to eat the number of carbs at which you feel best and that you can realistically maintain in the long term.
The typical American diet provides around 2,200 calories per day, with 50% of them coming from carbs. This is equivalent to 275 grams of carbs per day.
According to a 2020 research review, a low carbohydrate diet (120 to 225 grams of carbs) or very low carbohydrate diet (20 to 60 grams of carbs) per day appears to produce the most dramatic results.
When tracking carb intake, experts sometimes recommend focusing on your net carbs instead of the total amount of carbs you eat. Net carbs are the total grams of carbs minus grams of fiber.
It’s worth noting that the FDA and ADA do not recommend using net carbs. It’s controversial, and the FDA’s guidance is to use the total count of carbohydrates on the nutrition label.
Since carbs raise blood sugar, reducing them to any extent can help you manage your blood sugar levels. Therefore, figuring out how many carbs to eat requires some testing and evaluating to find out what works best for you.
For instance, if you’re currently consuming about 250 grams of carbs per day, reducing your intake to 150 grams should result in significantly lower blood sugar after meals.
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MetforminHow do you determine your optimal carb intake?
To determine your ideal carb intake, measure your blood sugar with a blood glucose meter before a meal and again 1 to 2 hours after eating.
To prevent damage to your blood vessels and nerves, the maximum level your blood sugar should reach is 180 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), or 10 millimoles per liter (mmol/L), 2 hours after eating. But you may want to aim for an even lower ceiling.
To achieve your blood sugar goals, you may need to restrict your carb intake to less than 10, 15, or 25 grams per meal. You may also find that your blood sugar rises more at certain times of the day, so your upper carb limit may be lower for dinner than for breakfast or lunch.
In general, the fewer carbs you consume, the less your blood sugar will rise — and the less insulin or diabetes medication you’ll require to stay within a healthy range.
Restricting carbs isn’t the only way to lower blood sugar, however. It can also be lowered by eating a moderate amount of low glycemic carbs, or by pairing carbs with protein and fiber.
If you take insulin or diabetes medication, it’s very important to speak with a healthcare professional to ensure the appropriate dosage before reducing your carb intake.
What are some high carb foods to avoid?
Many tasty, nutritious, low carb foods raise blood sugar levels only minimally. You can enjoy these foods in moderate to liberal amounts on low carb diets.
However, you should avoid or limit the following high carb foods:
- breads, muffins, rolls, and bagels
- pasta, rice, corn, and other grains
- potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, and taro
- milk and sweetened yogurt
- most fruit, except berries
- cakes, cookies, pies, ice cream, and other sweets
- snack foods like pretzels, chips, and popcorn
- juice, soda, sweetened iced tea, and other sugar-sweetened drinks
- beer, wine, and spirits
Keep in mind that not all of these foods are unhealthy. For example, fruits are highly nutritious, but eating large amounts isn’t optimal for anyone trying to manage their blood sugar levels by eating fewer carbs.
The takeaway
If you have diabetes, reducing your carb intake may be beneficial.
Some people can tolerate more carbs than others.
Testing your blood sugar and paying attention to how you feel at different carb intakes can help you find your ideal range for optimal diabetes management, energy levels, and quality of life.
It might also be helpful to reach out to others for support. Our free community, Bezzy T2D, connects you with real people living with type 2 diabetes. Ask diet-related questions and seek advice from others who get it. Download the app for iPhone or Android.