American Expatriate Costa Rica

Diabetic? Don’t forget to consume three dairy products daily

If you are diabetic pay close attention: dairy products must be within your daily diet, as their benefits can help you regulate the disease. It is estimated that about 70% of people with this disease, do not meet the daily recommendation of three servings of dairy per day: milk, yogurt and cheese, preferably.

Mariastelis Jiménez, nutritionist at Dos Pinos, explained that following the recommendation of consumption decreases the incidence of diabetes by 38% and the reasons are its components.

For example, dairy proteins help to give more satiety, decrease the risk of being overweight and have an effect on improving the insulin response. The other components are calcium and vitamin D, which help improve the functioning of pancreatic cells,”

explained Jiménez.

The nutritionist added that another reason to consume dairy products is that they have a low glycemic index, that is, the speed with which a food raises blood sugar levels. In the case of milk, this index is low.

It should be noted that in the case of milk and yogurt, the recommended serving is the equivalent of a glass or 250 milliliters and 30 grams of cheese, which is about a slice the size of a matchbox.

Jiménez also noted that some studies have shown that milk fat improves insulin resistance.

Right now in Costa Rica the problem is that there has been a significant increase in cases of diabetes, while in 2010 there were 280 thousand patients, in 2016 they were 350 thousand. And the problem is that poor control of diabetes can have serious consequences, for example, it can damage certain vital organs like the heart, brain and eyes,”

explained the nutritionist.

The specialist stressed that the five meal times, which include five portions of fruits and vegetables and carbohydrates, and physical activity, should not be ignored.

crhoy.com