If you have diabetes, you are probably concerned about the dietary sugar you eat. One of the ways to receive a large portion of that is through carbohydrates. But, what is the recommended daily carb intake for diabetics?
You may have heard conflicting information about how to figure out your carb intake, especially if you have diabetes. Different sources will have different advice.
According to the American Diabetes Association, your carb intake should be moderate. This means that of all the food you eat all day, 45% should come from carbohydrates. Take into account that the average snack contains 10 to 25 grams of carbs, while meals have approximately 45-60 grams.
However, further research is pointing towards fewer carb intake than an ADA daily meal is more beneficial for diabetics. Yes, fewer carbs daily than is recommended for the average non-diabetic. But, why is that?
Carbohydrates send blood glucose levels into fluctuation. Your body breaks carbs down into sugar. This includes all foods with carbs. From your expected cookies to the unexpected produce.
When you eat a lot of these types of digestible carbohydrates, your blood sugar can rise to dangerous levels. And, your body can’t keep up or process the insulin demands.
So, looking at even lower carb diets, there is a lot to choose from. The ketogenic diet is one option. This diet is designed to send the body into a state of ketosis. This switches the main fuel source for your body from sugar to ketones and fat.
Additionally, research suggests that severely limiting your carb intake daily can reduce blood glucose levels. It can also have positive effects on weight loss. But, this requires you to restrict your intake to only 20-50 grams of carbs per day.
Final Thoughts
There are no set rules on how much carbs a low-carb diet should contain. However, experts agree that the recommended daily carb intake for diabetics should be fairly low. Generally, you should aim for 5-35% carb intake and see which works best for you.
