Diabetes treatment with fiber diet

Conn (1940) showed that reduction of dietary carbohydrate in normal subjects and diabetics causes profound impairment of glucose tolerance, which reverts to normal when carbohydrate intake is increased again. His main purpose was to preach caution in the interpretation of glucose tolerance tests unless the previous diet had been standardized for several days and contained a sufficient quantity of carbohydrate. Amazingly, this simple point has been overlooked by physicians prescribing dietary treatment for their diabetics. There were a few reports of benefit from an increase in available carbohydrate intake (Kempner et al, 1958 Ernest et al., 1962), but it is only in the last 10 yr that any real interest in this effect has been shown. Even then, results were overshadowed by preoccupation with fiber, so that the possible benefits of increased intake of available carbohydrate have received much less attention. 

An over iew of the di ease diabetes mellitus will be used to supply motivation prior to starling our journey through the pathways of energy production. Diabetes mellitus is a major health concern on a global basis. This disease takes two forms, i-e-, insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) and nan-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). Nutritional intervention is used in the treatment of diabetes, as revealed later in this chapter and in the Obesity chapter. IDDM is easily treated by injections of insulin, while NIDDM is more difficult to tneat. NIDDM is treated with insulin and by weight reduction in obese patients. Use of soluble fiber in the diet may be used in the treatment of both types of diabetes. 

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