My 13-year-old with type 1 has been having milk and cookies as his last snack since diagnosis last year and usually has good morning blood sugars on that. Recently, he had a stomach bug and did not feel up to the milk, so I let him have a banana and the cookies instead. His morning blood sugars have been lower than with the milk and cookies. In fact, some mornings he has been below 4.0 mmol/L [72 mg/dl]!

I should also mention that he uses goat’s milk as he tends to get tummy aches from cow’s milk. Could there be some vitamin or mineral in the banana that is helping him to process the carbohydrates better?

First of all, please talk to your child’s health care provider or follow the guidelines to prevent a low glucose overnight by adjusting down the insulin or changing the food.

In answer to your question, sometimes after a gastrointestinal illness, the absorption of nutrients from the digestive tract can be temporarily different. It is important to monitor the glucose and adjust the insulin and food accordingly. It is possible that the change in bedtime snack is affecting the glucose, as different foods and amounts may affect the glucose differently. Also, think about any increased or change in exercise patterns as well.

If you are able to meet with a dietitian, you can review your child’s overall food intake and learn about the content of different foods.

LM

[Editor’s comment: Furthermore, the consumption of protein as part of the bedtime snack will often help prevent nighttime lows and help prevent lower morning blood sugars. According to The Diabetes Carbohydrate & Fat Gram Guide, a banana has less than 1 gram of protein, while a cup of whole goat’s milk has 9 grams of protein. Please discuss this with your diabetes team/dietitian.

BH]