October 17, 1999
Meal Planning, Food and Diet
Question from Prince George, British Columbia, Canada:
My 15 year old son was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes about 8 months ago. We have been trying to get the management of this condition down and are using Humalog and NPH. We think he is still honeymooning. We have wondering if eating fruit alone for a snack, e.g., grapes or mangoes, can cause a big spike in his blood sugars. This seems to happen if he has the fruit for his afternoon snack. Is this spike less likely if we feed him the fruit with his main meal (i.e., the other foods will help slow down the absorption of the sugars)? If he does spike from fruit or when he is accidently given sugared pop (e.g., at a restaurant or movie) is it a good idea to give him 2�units of Humalog to try to bring him down quickly? Or will this just mean he will be brought down too low because the sugars from these foods move so quickly through the system? Has there been any research done on the effects of short-term spikes in blood sugars as opposed to a large meal that causes a long term sugar high in the system? My son is very good about taking as many needles as necessary with the Humalog in a pen form.
Answer:
Fruit can cause sharp rises in your blood sugar as quickly as other forms of “fast” sugars such as glucose tabs, sugared soda, and juice. For example, an apple has 18 grams of carbohydrates and an orange has about 15 grams of carbohydrates. I would encourage you to talk to your diabetes team about any changes in your son’s insulin scheduling or dosing. Taking Humalog insulin with meals or snacks can dramatically improve blood sugar control.
MSB
