Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disorder that affects the movement of glucose from the bloodstream into the cells. The hormone insulin, which is produced in the pancreas, is responsible for the movement of glucose. According to the American Diabetes Association, approximately one out of every 400 children and adolescents will suffer from type 1 diabetes.
Juvenile Diabetes
Juvenile diabetes is a term used for type 1 diabetes. There are two types of diabetes in which your body struggles to utilize glucose, according o the American Diabetes Association. In type 1 diabetes, or juvenile diabetes, the pancreas shuts off production of insulin completely, and you are not able to use glucose for energy. In type 2 diabetes, also called adult onset diabetes, your body either doesn't use insulin well or the pancreas begins to reduce the amount of insulin it produces or a combination of both. Symptoms of juvenile diabetes include frequent urination, unusual thirst, extreme hunger, unusual weight loss and extreme fatigue.
Carbohydrates
Diabetes requires that you change your dietary habits to accommodate the disease process or the glucose circulating in your bloodstream rises to dangerous levels. Carbohydrates are one type of food that you must manage to keep your blood sugar under control. Carbohydrates are broken down into simple sugars and released into the bloodstream where insulin transports the glucose into the cells.
Carbohydrates on a Diabetic Diet
Although there is no one diabetic diet for all diabetics, researchers have found that those people who count their carbohydrates every day have better control over their blood sugar and demonstrate reduced weight and smaller waistlines over six months. An Italian study of adult type 1 diabetics published in the April 2011 issue of "Diabetes Care," the journal from the American Diabetes Association, found that carbohydrate counting is safe and improves the quality of life for those who suffer from type 1 diabetes.
Number of Carbohydrates
The number of carbohydrates an individual with juvenile diabetes should eat daily will depend upon several factors. Doctors at the University of Michigan Health System recommend that you meet with a dietitian to develop an individualized meal plan. This plan will be based on your age, gender and activity level. However, the University of California at San Francisco recommends that their type 1 diabetic patients begin with 150 to 250 grams of carbohydrates daily and distribute them throughout the day. Carbohydrates should be eaten every 4 to 6 hours apart and meals should not be skipped. The number of carbohydrates you eat should be distributed equally among those three meals. If you are eating 150 grams of carbohydrates, you would eat 40 grams of carbohydrates at breakfast, lunch and dinner, saving 30 grams for snack.
References
- American Diabetes Association: Diabetes Basics
- Stop Diabetes: American Diabetes Association Alert! Day
- University of Michigan Health System: Type 1 Diabetes: Meal Planning
- "Diabetes Care"; Effects of Carbohydrate Counting on Glucose Control and Quality of Life over 24 weeks in Adult Patients with Type 1 Diabetes on Continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Infusion"; A. Laurenzi, M.D., et al.; March 2011
- University of California at San Francisco: Counting Carbohydrates
