are atkins drinks safe for diabetics?
A couple of years ago, my endocrinologist urged me to use Glucerna shakes as part of a 600 calorie a day diet he wanted me to go on. I took one look at the ingredients – 26g carbohydrate – and told him it looks more like the stimulus for a Glucose Tolerance Test than something diabetics should drink. Atkins for Diabetics. Over the past few years, a significant amount of research- much of it reported in this newsletter- has shown that low-carb diets are effective not only for weight loss, but for improving many measures of risk for heart disease and diabetes. Now a new study from the prestigious Albert Einstein College of Medicine shows that a low-fat diet has no advantage over a low-carb diet modeled on the Atkins Advantage program in the treatment of diabetes. In fact- as we’ve said before- the low-carb diet actually has some significant advantages. Atkins-Glucerna Face Off. We begin our reviews of beverages with a contest between a marketing champion and an upstart contender: Glucerna shakes vs. Atkins shakes. At Costco, a colorful box with a “new look” has 24 8 oz Glucerna Shakes. It sold for $29.99 (16¢/oz). The box prominently claims “Delicious shake designed for people with diabetes” and “To Help Minimize Blood Sugar Spikes*”. In diabetics, with insulin not doing its job properly, blood sugar levels can become dangerously high. Since the Seventies, diabetics have been recommended a low-fat diet. This was because of the link to heart disease, to which diabetics are more prone. But now, doctors are suggesting that this kind of diet could actually make Type 2 diabetes worse. And instead of cutting down on fat, thousands of patients like Diane are being advised to switch to a low-carbohydrate diet instead. Experts say this ‘Atkins-style’ approach of eating fewer carbs could even soon be recommended to everyone as a way of lowering our risk of getting Type 2 diabetes in the first place. It can be taken as a snack or occasional meal replacement. Glucerna is lactose-free and gluten-free. The Atkins shakes are mainly marketed to dieters following the low-carb Atkins diet and these shakes can be taken as a low-carb snack option suitable for the Atkins diet. Glucerna shakes are available in four different flavors, including creamy chocolate delight, homemade vanilla, strawberries and cream, and butter pecan. The Atkins shake products include six varieties: cafe caramel, dark chocolate royale and milk chocolate delight, mocha latte, strawberry and vanilla. Available carbs can be calculated by removing the grams of dietary fiber from the total grams of carbohydrates. One serving of an Atkins shake contains 11 fl. oz and provides between 2 and 6 g carbohydrates, 1 and 4 g fiber and 1 and 2 g net carbs.
Yes, atkins-style’ approach of eating fewer carbs could even soon be recommended to everyone as a way of lowering our risk of getting Type 2 diabetes in the first place.