Type 2 diabetes is a condition that causes a person to lose control of the amount of sugar in their blood. It causes the body not to respond to insulin (a hormone made by the pancreas) properly, which can cause blood sugar levels to become too high. If the condition is left untreated, complications can occur including kidney failure, nerve damage, heart disease and stroke, so controlling blood sugar levels is very important. One way to do this is through diet and eating healthily.
Experts recommend eating a wide range of foods, including fruit, vegetables and some starchy foods like pasta, but sugar, fat and salt should be kept to a minimum.
Eating breakfast, lunch and dinner every day, and not skipping meals, is also very important.
But when it comes to the first meal of the day, breakfast, what’s the best food to eat?
Contrary to some belief, eggs provide a host of amazing health benefits, including improving a person’s blood sugar levels.
In the past, people have been advised to limit their consumption of eggs because of their cholesterol content.
High levels of cholesterol can increase a person’s risk of developing conditions such as type 2 diabetes.
A single medium-sized egg contains roughly 186mg of cholesterol. The recommendation is to limit cholesterol in food to no more than 300mg a day.
But there are two types of cholesterol – HDL ‘good’ cholesterol and LDL ‘bad’ cholesterol.
HDl cholesterol makes a person less likely to have heart problems or a stroke, whereas LDL cholesterol can increase a person’s risk of these life-threatening conditions happening.
But regular egg consumption has been shown to decrease inflammation, improve insulin sensitivity, increase HDL cholesterol, and modify the size and shape of LDL cholesterol.
In one study, people with type 2 diabetes who consumed two eggs daily as part of a high-protein diet had improvements in cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
Eggs have also been shown to help keep people feeling full for hours, which can lead to weight loss – being overweight or obese are risk factors for type 2 diabetes.
The NHS states eggs are a good choice as part of a healthy, balanced diet, which is recommended for type 2 diabetes.
As well as being a source of protein, eggs also contain vitamins and minerals.
When it comes to how many eggs to eat, the health body adds: “There is no recommended limit on how many eggs people should eat.
“Eggs can be enjoyed as part of a healthy, balanced diet, but it’s best to cook them without adding salt or fat.
“For example, boiled or poached, without added salt, scrambled without butter and using low-fat milk instead of cream.
“Frying eggs can increase their fat content by around 50 per cent.”
Eating oats for breakfast could also help lower blood sugar.
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