Big Mediterranean-style lunch Good for People with Diabetes Type-2

People with diabetes type-2 are often advised to eat smaller meals throughout the day to control their blood sugar levels. However, a new study has found that skipping breakfast before a large, Mediterranean-styled lunch is better than other kinds of diets for people with diabetes.

According to researchers at Linköping University in Sweden, a large Mediterranean-styled lunch can help people with diabetes-2 lower their sugar and fat levels. Researchers added that people need to restrict their breakfast to just a cup of black coffee.

For the present study, the experts compared blood glucose and lipid level in 21 patients who were all put on three different diets- low-fat diet, a low-carbohydrate diet and a Mediterranean diet. Participants' blood samples were taken about 6 times on each test day.

The low-fat diet provided 55% energy from carbohydrates while 50% of the total energy came from fat in low-carb diet. Mediterranean diet included a cup of coffee for breakfast and a large lunch in the afternoon that was served with 150 ml (women) to 200 ml (male) of French wine. Note that the main source of Mediterranean diet was olives and fatty fish.

"We found that the low-carbohydrate diet increased blood glucose levels much less than the low-fat diet but that levels of triglycerides tended to be high compared to the low-fat diet," said Doctor Hans Guldbrand, who together with Professor Fredrik Nystrom was the principal investigator of the study, according to a news release.

This isn't the first time that Mediterranean diet has been linked with health benefits. Previous research has shown that a diet high in fruits and vegetables prevents stroke in genetically at-risk people. According to the American Heart Association, over half of the fat calories in a Mediterranean diet come from monounsaturated fats (from olive oil). This type of fat is healthier than saturated fat found in American diet.

"It is very interesting that the Mediterranean diet, without breakfast and with a massive lunch with wine, did not induce higher blood glucose levels than the low-fat diet lunch, despite such a large single meal," said Professor Nyström.

The study is published in the journal PLoS ONE.

Please consult your physician before making any drastic changes to your diet.