[Diet therapy of diabetes mellitus]

For the most part, nutritional recommendations for type I and type II diabetics are quite similar to those for groups at risk of coronary heart disease. A "diabetic" diet aims to provide just the right amount of calories and in particular to limit the amount of saturated fatty acids ingested while providing suitable carbohydrates; daily nutrition is taken in the form of several small meals ingested throughout the day. Such a diet can not only normalize blood glucose, but can also help reduce such diabetic-related risks as overweight, insulin resistance, dyslipoproteinemia and hypertension.