[New knowledge of diet therapy of type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes]

The composition of the diet of the type II-diabetics should correspond to the principles of a lactovegetarian diet: relatively many carbohydrates, vegetables, fruits and little fat, in particular little animal fats. By such a pathogenetically orientated nutrition one is at the earliest able to treat successfully preventively and therapeutically the development of the arteriosclerosis which is connected with the type 2 diabetes and with metabolic syndrome. Thereby the weight reduction is of course integrated into such a dietary prescription. The number of meals a day should not routine-like be established to 5 to 6, and only in a bad metabolic condition the subdivision into many smaller meals is necessary. In the calculation of the food type 2 diabetics with overweight stabilised on diet alone should estimate the energy of food and reduce it. At this stage the calculation of carbohydrates is not necessary. Only when a blood sugar decreasing therapy is added (insulin and perhaps sulfonylureas) we have additionally to begin the calculation of carbohydrates. In order to obtain a useful compliance unnecessary reglementations must be removed so that only there where necessary a strict discipline is observed.