By Glenn Mueller
eDiets Senior Writer/Editor

We all know that it is essential for people with Type 2 diabetes to stick to a healthy meal plan. But an international team of medical experts recently set out to determine if healthy eating is enough to control this disease.

In a diabetes information report published by the Cochrane Collaboration, researchers say they could not find sufficient evidence to completely support this claim. However, they pointed to a pair of studies suggesting that healthy eating still plays an extremely important role in preventing or managing diabetes.

The Cochrane Collaboration is an international nonprofit organization that reviews healthcare studies and recommendations. The reviews are distributed worldwide to encourage further research for promising treatments.

In one study, subjects were randomly assigned to either a control group or a group receiving dietary supervision. After six years, nearly 70 percent of the people in the control group had developed diabetes as compared to only slightly more than 40 percent of the subjects in the dietary group. In the other study, subjects who received a year of dietary supervision showed significant improvements in a number of areas closely linked to diabetes, including insulin resistance and fasting blood glucose, triglycerides and cholesterol.

Though the diabetes information in these studies does seem to suggest that healthy eating alone may play an extremely significant role in reducing Type 2 diabetes, the medical experts strongly suggest further research in this area.

This was not the first study to connect nutrition with preventing or managing diabetes. eDiets Diabetes Expert Christine Miller says the most important diabetes information study to date on the effects of healthy eating and exercise for lowering a person's risk for developing diabetes is a clinical trial known as the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP).

In the three-year study, diet and exercise sharply reduced the chances that a subject with impaired glucose tolerance would develop diabetes. The combination of diet and exercise appeared more effective than medication. However, Miller cautioned that not every patient can battle diabetes without medication.

"Even if a person's weight is normal and they exercise, some people with Type 2 diabetes will still require medication," Miller says. Though she has counseled patients who were able to control their diabetes with healthy eating and regular exercise, Miller emphasized that individual response to this disease is different.

There are many reasons why a person's blood sugar can be elevated, since there are so many different factors involved.

"I try to be sensitive to the fact that people really do try," Miller says. "If one of my clients can't control their diabetes through diet and exercise alone, the patient often thinks that they have failed or that they must be doing something wrong."

In the early stages of diabetes, Miller explained that the pancreas often over-produces insulin in order to keep up with the body's demand. The pancreas can get worn out from making so much insulin. Miller also says that some people with Type 2 diabetes develop hyperactive livers that keep throwing off stored sugar.

Adopting a healthy lifestyle is extremely important, but you need to work closely with your doctor and a team of healthcare professionals to determine the course of action that is right for you, she says.

According to the American Diabetes Association, following a healthy meal plan should help you to improve your blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol numbers, while at the same time helping you drop those extra pounds or maintain a healthy weight. Whatever meal plan you decide to follow, they suggest you include a wide variety of foods, such as vegetables, whole grains, fruits, non-fat dairy products, beans, lean meats, poultry and fish.

If you have general questions about meal planning information for diabetes, don't hesitate to contact a nutritional professional by email or calling 1-866-756-0510 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. or Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

To learn more about meal plans designed specifically for people with diabetes, visit the Living with Diabetes meal plan report card. The Living with Diabetes meal plan supports the current recommendations of the American Diabetes Association. This meal plan may be a good choice if you want to learn portion control and healthy eating behaviors that can have a positive impact on blood sugar.

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Labels: diabetes, type 2 diabetes