Pt Health Life – Milk is a nutritious food that is good for health but can be a concern for people with diabetes because its carbohydrate content can affect blood sugar levels. So can people with diabetes drink milk and which type of milk should they choose?
1. Effects of milk on blood sugar levels
According to medical experts, people with diabetes , if not well controlled and treated, can face many dangerous complications. Therefore, in addition to taking medication as prescribed by your doctor, maintaining safe blood sugar through diet is very important. To control blood sugar levels, it is necessary to control the amount of carbohydrates eaten because carbohydrates directly affect blood sugar levels.
One of the main purposes of carbohydrates is to provide fuel for the body. Most carbohydrates are broken down or converted into glucose , which can be used for energy. Carbohydrates can also be converted into fat (stored energy) for later use.
Milk is a nutritious food, a source of protein and calcium with high biological value. Milk is also a food that is full of essential substances for the body such as: protein, fat, starch/sugar (carbohydrate) along with other vitamins and minerals.
However, milk contains lactose , which is a natural sugar that provides energy to the body, so it needs to be included in your total daily carbohydrate intake.
All cow’s milk contains carbohydrates that have an impact on blood sugar levels, prompting diabetics to consider alternatives.
2. What type of milk should diabetics choose?
Diabetes increases the risk of bone fractures, a risk that increases as you age and lose bone mass. Calcium-rich foods like milk will help keep your bones strong and protect against osteoporosis , a serious bone loss that can lead to fractures and reduced mobility.
milk is a food containing many vitamins, minerals and protein. In particular, the calcium content in milk is very high, this is an essential mineral to help keep bones and teeth strong.
However, for people with diabetes, what they eat and drink must be controlled to keep blood sugar stable.
People with diabetes should choose the following types of milk:
- Unsweetened whole milk
- Skimmed, low-fat, unsweetened milk
- Milk for diabetics
- Soymilk
3. Some types of milk are suitable for people with diabetes
3.1. Pure milk
Whole milk only has a unique amount of sugar that is naturally available in raw milk (lactose). As for low-sugar milk and sweetened milk, a certain amount of sugar will be added in addition to the naturally available lactose in milk.
On the product’s nutritional information label, the hydrocarbon parameter is the amount of sugar in the milk. All carbohydrates in milk are lactose.
All types of whole milk provide about 12 grams of sugar per cup, but chocolate, strawberry and vanilla milk contain added sugar, so people should be careful to read food labels before consuming.
3.2. Skim and low-fat milk
Diabetes increases the risk of heart disease, but people can control the risk by limiting saturated fat consumption. One cup of whole milk provides 149 calories and 5 grams of saturated fat, but 1 cup of skim milk contains only 83 calories and 0.1 grams of saturated fat.
3.3. Unsweetened almond milk
Unsweetened almond milk has 2% carbohydrates. This is much lower than low-fat cow’s milk which contains up to 5% carbohydrates. Therefore it is a suitable choice for people with diabetes
3.4. Unsweetened flaxseed milk
This is another type of milk that is low in carbohydrates. Unsweetened flaxseed milk contains at least 1.02g of carbohydrates. So it is an ideal choice for people with diabetes.
Flaxseed milk does not contain lactose or cholesterol and is also a heart-healthy alternative to cow’s milk.
3.5. Soymilk
If the patient does not like regular cow’s milk or is lactose intolerant, soy milk is a healthy alternative.
Research shows that soy milk can improve blood pressure in people with diabetes and neurological diseases more than in participants who drink cow’s milk.
Unsweetened soy milk contains 4.01g of carbohydrates, higher than flaxseed and almond milk but safe enough to avoid increasing your blood sugar levels.
3.6. Dairy products are good for people with diabetes
– Greek yogurt : Fermented milk products like Greek yogurt are always a good choice because they contain probiotics. Probiotics positively affect gut health and can improve the body’s glucose and insulin levels.
– Low-fat cheese: Low-fat cheese such as string cheese and fresh cheese are all good choices to balance meals and supplement low-fat protein sources. Minimal carbohydrate levels will not increase the patient’s blood sugar level.
Some things diabetic patients need to keep in mind when drinking milk
– A 250ml serving of unsweetened whole milk usually contains 12g of carbohydrates. Patients should drink 1 or 2 servings of milk per day.
– It should be noted that milk is a nutritional supplement and does not have medicinal effects. Patients do not need to drink milk if their diet ensures adequate nutrition.
– When choosing a type of milk, patients should pay attention to reading the ingredient list on the food label to know about the amount of carbohydrates, cholesterol, etc. contained in that type of milk.
