Diabetics should take advice before fasting

[LahoreEstate]

Monday, September 07, 2009
Muhammad Qasim

Rawalpindi

Health experts term it a wrong assumption that every diabetic can benefit from fasting saying that without following advice of a physician regarding selection of food to be taken during Ramazan, a patient might have complications of the disease.

Health specialists believe that patients with diabetes should strictly follow the advice of a qualified physician while fasting during Ramazan and a patient with higher level of sugar in his blood should not fast without informing his or her family doctor.

“In a good number of severe diabetic cases, a physician feels change in schedule of medicines to avoid complications during fasting in Ramazan and it would be possible only when he would be informed well in time,” said medical specialist and consultant Diabetologist Dr. Muhammad Mujeeb Khan while talking to ‘The News’.

Diabetics can be divided into three categories on the basis of ways and means they are advised to follow for controlling blood sugar. Patients who control sugar level by adopting life interventions like exercise and walk do not have any complications while fasting, however, they should follow doctor’s advice regarding diet, said Dr. Mujeeb who is serving as Director Emergency at Benazir Bhutto Hospital.

“A diabetic who uses oral hypoglycaemic medicines (tablets) to control sugar level in his blood can fast only if he has no complications of the disease. Such patients must consult their physicians before going for fasting enabling doctors to change schedule of medicines,” he said.

He added that the patients who take insulin for controlling blood sugar fall in the third category. “Such patients being more diabetic may develop complications due to a little carelessness and medically fasting in them is not recommended,” he said.

Doctors believe that most of the diabetics develop complications during Ramazan because of wrong selection of diet at the time of ‘Iftar’ and ‘Sehar’.

Dr. Mujeeb suggests that at the time of ‘Iftar’, diabetics should avoid ‘Sharbats’ and sweet substances like ‘Jalaibis’ as the sweet substances give hyperglycaemic peaks (Sudden shooting up of sugar level) that are dangerous for patients. “A patient may take sweet substances just to taste but greater quantity of it certainly causes severe complications.”

He said that a diabetic, at the time of ‘Sehar’, should take plain leaf of bread (Chapati not Paratha) preferably with yoghurt, milk, vegetable curry, pulses or egg, however, he should avoid jams and marmalade.

Dr. Mujeeb said that a diabetic might have different types of fruits preferably apple and peach on ‘Iftar’. He said that a diabetic might have all types of fruits but in moderate quantity. Diabetics should avoid taking grapes in greater quantity. “A fasting diabetic may add food with high protein including fish, meat, chicken, pulses and eggs to his diet plan,” he said.

Dr. Mujeeb said a fasting diabetic should take plenty of fluids at the time of ‘Sehar’ and ‘Iftar’ and should give much attention to regular check-ups. “Diabetic cases are considered unique in nature so every diabetic should have an advice from his or her physician before going for fasting.”

http://thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=197150