What Is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a group of diseases that affect blood glucose, according to the Mayo Clinic. The most common forms of diabetes are type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes, also known as juvenile diabetes, occurs at birth or when the patient is young, and occurs when the body fights the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. Insulin shots must be administered regularly to regulate blood sugar, and diet helps to keep blood sugar from spiking too high or too low. Type 2 diabetes usually occurs later in life, and occurs when the body stops reacting to the insulin cells in the body. Type 2 diabetes can be managed by diet and exercise, but may also require medication in some cases. Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes patients should maintain a diet with nutritious foods that maintain blood sugar, rather than causing it to spike.
Cheese and Glucose
Cheese is approved by the Mayo Clinic as a healthful ingredient to use in meals for patients with diabetes. According to Robert A. Barnett, author of "Magic Foods: Simple Changes You Can Make to Supercharge Your Energy, Lose Weight and Live Longer," cheese has a very low glycemic index and "won't budge the blood sugar needle even a bit." Foods that have a low glycemic index will improve how the body reacts to insulin if it has become insulin-resistant and create a smaller glucose increase, or blood-sugar jump. Because cheese is also high in protein, it will create a long-lasting energy source to stretch out meals and snacks and keep blood sugar steady. Additionally, cheese is low in carbohydrates, which eventually turns into sugar that is released into the bloodstream as it breaks down in the body.
Good Cheese Versus Bad Cheese
Although cheese is generally approved as a healthful snack and addition to meals for diabetics, not every cheese is a worthwhile choice. Full-fat cheeses contain the same amount of protein, but far more saturated fat than low-fat and fat-free cheeses. For example, eating a slice of pizza with full-fat cheese will add more saturated fat to a diet. As recommended by the Mayo Clinic, saturated fat should make up up only 7 percent of the daily fat intake for a diabetic, because diabetics have a larger chance of developing heart disease and other heart problems. Low-fat cottage cheese, low-fat string cheese, non-fat cheeses and other low-fat options are more healthful than cheeses that are not marked as being low-fat, non-fat or fat-free.
