Who suffers from diabetes can eat pasta or bread? This is one of the most common questions among diabetic patients and which doctors and diabetologists need to clarify. To be able to manage diabetes, in fact, it is essential to keep one’s diet under control but, above all on the web, the diabetic patient may encounter false news partially false which may lead to confusion.
Il professor Enzo Bonoraprofessor of endocrinology at the University of Verona and director of the department of endocrinology, diabetology and metabolic diseases of the Integrated University Hospital of Verona, has been active for a few years on the your Facebook page a column against fake newsin which he explains if, how and how much certain foods (for example chocolate) can be taken by those with diabetes. In the last few hours, the professor has been working on bread, pasta, rice and cereals in general.
Given that each diabetic person reacts and responds to the disease differently and must always refer to the advice of their doctor, some suggestions that refer to the guidelines are always valid.
Why it is important to eat carbohydrates
First of all, the professor explains in the video dedicated to cereals: “I have already said, clearly, that man cannot do without carbohydrates and which exist in literature solid and reliable data which demonstrate that when the share of carbohydrates contributing to the calories consumed daily falls below 40%, people die more. Similarly, more people die when the percentage of carbohydrates contributing to daily calories exceeds 60%.”
The importance of cereals
To reach the necessary daily quota, man must do use of cereals. In addition to cereals, in fact, carbohydrates are found in vegetables, fruit, nuts, legumes, milk and cheese. However, in these foods the quantity of carbohydrates is low, around 5-10 grams per 100 grams of product. This means – explains the professor – that who would like to consume the daily amount of carbohydrates only from vegetablesfor example, should eat at least 5 kilos, or drink 5 liters of milk a day.
“In essence – continues the professor – being able to put together the amount of carbohydrates from these foods alone is almost impossible. For this reason, cereals cannot be missing from our daily diet”. Furthermore, “whole grains are associated with lower cardiovascular mortality, lower cancer mortality and lower onset of diabetes”.
Where are the cereals and some clarifications on urban legends
Cereals they are found in bread and bread-like products, pasta, rice and similar products. The professor, however, underlines “choosing to eat breadsticks, for example, instead of bread, is not a very intelligent choice because in terms of carbohydrates, fats and calories, breadsticks, crackers or even rice cakes are worse than bread, and much worse than wholemeal bread. Wholemeal bread is the best choice as it contains the lowest glycemic index and the lowest amount of fat and calories compared to other cereals.
As for pasta, rice or similar, the professor explains: “the best choice is always wholemeal. Wholemeal pasta is the one that has the lowest glycemic index and is the one that, in terms of raising blood sugar levels, has the least impact, especially if it is very, very al dente. The glycemic index of wholemeal pasta is also lower than that of barley or spelled. It is therefore perfect for those suffering from diabetes.
“Foods such as buckwheat, quinoa or kamut – the professor then underlines – do not have a better glycemic index than wholemeal pasta.
Finally, the professor makes a clarification on rice: “Among cereals, rice is the one that raises blood sugar levels the most, especially when it’s overcooked. There is an advantage when the rice is very al dente or, even in this case, when we choose brown rice.”
Bottom line: carbohydrates are necessary for our well-being, as are cereals. The important thing is knowing how to choose, knowing how to cook and, above all, knowing how to keep the quantities under control because, as the professor explains: “you can choose the food with the lowest glycemic index in the world, but if you eat a lot of it, your blood sugar will rise ”.