Cape Town - Diabetes is a growing epidemic, health experts say, with an estimated 3.5 million South Africans living with type 1 or type 2 diabetes mellitus.
It was the start of National Diabetes Awareness Week on Thursday (November 12) and Stellenbosch University says it is estimated that a further five million South Africans have pre-diabetes – a condition where insulin resistance causes blood glucose levels to be higher than normal, but not high enough yet to be type 2 diabetes.
The awareness week concludes on November 17.
The university’s Irene Labuschagne, of the Nutrition Information Centre, said it takes on average seven years for a person to get diagnosed with diabetes as symptoms can be mild and may develop gradually. The result is that about 30 percent of people with type 2 diabetes have already developed complications by the time they are diagnosed.
“Diabetes complications are serious and include heart disease, stroke, blindness, amputations and kidney failure. In most cases these complications could have been avoided entirely by early diagnosis and proper treatment,” she said.
Patients with type 1 diabetes who are on insulin therapy need specific eating and meal plans based on their insulin treatment and blood glucose control. However, the disease process associated with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes can be slowed and even partially reversed by following a healthy diet and lifestyle.
Labuschagne said as little as five to 10 percent weight loss could improve insulin resistance and eating at least three balanced meals per day, and drinking at least six to eight glasses of water per day could help prevent and treat diabetes. “Increase your fibre intake: eat wholewheat bread, oats, oat bran or wholewheat cereals,” she added.
But Professor David Sanders, of the UWC’s School of Public Health, said often it would be difficult for a lower income household to afford healthy foods. Adding inexpensive items like potatoes, spinach and carrots, pilchards – which are high in protein and contain no sugar – eggs, fish such as snoek, beans and lentils to a diet could go a long way towards preventing and treating diabetes.
Sanders said cooldrinks, which were high in sugar content, should be cut out.
This, coupled with exercise to prevent obesity, would be instrumental in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
For many, it was difficult to shift to a healthier lifestyle because diets often consisted of high-refined carbohydrates. “These are sugars and hidden sugars like corn syrup. There are hidden sugars in sweet snacks, chain pizzas, biscuits, yoghurt and even fruit juices. We have in South Africa an escalating rate of diabetes. In the last 20 years diabetes rates have increased three-fold.”
Because processed foods were cheaper and sometimes didn’t require cooking, they were a money-saving choice for lower-income households.
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Cape Times