Area Editoriale
Individuals with diabetes receivemore nutrition advice than other population segments yet little is known abouthow well they comply or differ in nutrient intake from the rest of thepopulation. The present study determined the mean macronutrient intake,glycaemic index (GI), and glycaemic load (GL) of a cohort of 3654 olderAustralians, with and without diabetes. Fasting pathology tests, includingplasma glucose, were obtained for 88 % of the 3654 residents, and a 145-itemsemi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire was completed by 2900 residents(89 %) between 1992 and 1994. In total, 6 % of participants had diagnosed diabetes.Valid food-frequency data were available for 2736 without and 164 individualswith diabetes. The GI and GL were calculated from a customised database ofAustralian foods. Individuals with diabetes consumed significantly more protein(P = 0.001) and less sugars (P < or = 0.001) than the general population. Onlyseven individuals with diabetes (4.3 %) met all macronutrient recommendationsand only four (2.4 %) met fibre recommendations as well. Those with diabeteshad a lower mean GI (55 (sd 5) v. 57 (sd 4); P = 0.007, respectively) and GL(122 (sd 26) v. 134 (sd 24); P < 0.001, respectively) than the generalpopulation. In conclusion, older individuals with diabetes living in Australia inthe 1990s chose a diet that had significantly more protein and less sugars thanthose without diabetes. This difference had little impact on the average GI,but it led to a moderate reduction in the average GL. Only a small percentage,however, was able to meet nutritional recommendations for optimal diabetesmanagement. Leggil'articolo