Nutritional counseling should be customized to each patient (ideally by a registered dietitian) based on the patient’s personal needs, willingness and ability to change, and cultural preferences.
The goals of nutrition therapy in patients with diabetes include achieving and maintaining normal blood glucose levels and blood pressure, and a beneficial lipid/lipoprotein profile.
If adults with diabetes choose to use alcohol, daily intake should be limited to one drink per day or less for women and two or less for men. One drink is defined as 12 oz of beer, 5 oz of wine, or 1.5 oz of distilled spirits.
There is insufficient evidence on the efficacy of antioxidants, such as vitamins E and C and carotene, and concern regarding long-term safety. Benefit from chromium supplementation in patients with diabetes or obesity has not been conclusively demonstrated.
American Diabetes Association. Standards of medical care in diabetes—2009. Diabetes Care. 2009;32(suppl 1):S13-S61.
