We shall examine how an optimal diabetic diet can be derived from vegetarian sources. High Carbohydrate Diet Traditionally, diabetes mellitus has been treated with a low carbohydrate diet because of the misconception that carbohydrates will cause an increase in the blood glucose levels. As early as 1935, it was reported that carbohydrate tolerance in healthy adults was improved by an increase in the proportion of carbohydrate in the diet. By 1960, it was appreciated that rural Africans eating a traditional high carbohydrate diet had low fasting blood glucose levels and reduced plasma insulin responses to glucose loads as compared with a matched group of whites. These variations are attributed to the variable quantity and quality of fibre contained in these foods.
Soluble fibre tends to lower the glycaemic index more effectively than insoluble fibre.
For example, ground rice has a higher glycaemic index than whole rice. Mixed meals produce variable glycaemic responses because of the interaction between starches and other nutrients. It is important to appreciate that 55-60 per cent of the energy requirements can be derived from the complex carbohydrates contained in cereals and pulses. This was well documented by many Indian investigators much before the resurgence of interest in high carbohydrate diets in the western countries. It is further advantageous to combine cereals and pulses, as is traditionally done in a vegetarian diet.