Good nutrition has long been recognized as a key tenet of diabetes management. Those who take the time to learn about and implement good nutrition and lifestyle modifications, including regular exercise and medication adjustments, can make huge progress in their diabetes control.
Leading diabetes and nutritional organizations worldwide now recommend the integration of diabetes-specific nutritional formula into diabetes management plans. These formulas are recognized for their potential to help control diabetes effectively, through their use as a meal or snack replacements, as supplemental diets, or sole nutritional source for more severe cases, or as part of a meticulously controlled low calorie diet.
By integrating diabetes-specific nutritional formula into daily dietary plans, individuals living with diabetes can enjoy balanced macronutrient intake and better manage their carbohydrate consumption, thereby empowering them to take control of their condition.
Diabetes is a major health issue and burdens countries around the world — especially developing countries, like the Philippines. There are currently 4.3 million adults, aged 20-75 years living with diabetes and this is expected to rise rapidly by 28% by 2030 — making Philippines among the top 10 countries in the world with the highest number of people living with diabetes
Abbott has been dedicated to improving people’s health at all ages and stages of life — tackling chronic diseases like diabetes with innovative products and technologies. Abbott’s Glucerna brand is one of the most clinically studied diabetes specific formulas with more than 50 clinical studies spanning 30 years.
According to a new pilot study, diabetes specific nutrition as part of a balanced diet shows promise to help improve blood glucose control.
The long-term study on diabetes-specific formula (DSF) compared two distinct treatments on 251 enrolled participants over a 90-day period. The DSF group received 1-2 servings per day of Glucerna as a partial meal replacement alongside the standard of care, while the control group was provided with the standard of care alone.
Recognized as the #1 DSF worldwide and the most recommended brand by healthcare professionals in the U.S., Glucerna offers a scientifically formulated blend of 35 nutrients, including a new and improved carbohydrate system, a unique dual fiber blend, myo-inositol, enhanced micronutrients, and a heart-healthy lipid blend, to provide complete, balanced nutrition.
While very low-calorie diets may work for some individuals, others with diabetes may benefit from personalized medical nutrition therapy to manage their condition.
“Speaking with a healthcare professional can help individuals develop a nutrition plan that is customized to their needs and lifestyle; but nutrition recommendations can be hard to customize to specific cultures or lifestyles,” said Dr. Dimaano. “For this reason, Abbott and an international group of experts developed the transcultural Diabetes Nutrition Algorithm (or tDNA)–a global diabetes nutrition care model that translates nutrition recommendations based on cultural differences in diets and lifestyle to improve diabetes management and outcomes.”
Local experts have started to adapt ten in many regions and countries around the world. A clinical trial in Malaysia studied the effect of implementing tDNA in the country and found that a lifestyle intervention program using tDNA helped adults with type 2 diabetes improve health outcomes and body weight.
Nutritional tools like tDNA, along with weight management programs that incorporate lifestyle modifications, can empower healthcare professionals and individuals with type 2 diabetes to successfully manage their condition.
