How to control diet in gestational diabetes

Written by Chen Kai
Endocrinology
Updated on December 10, 2024
00:00
00:00

Gestational diabetes is characterized by elevated blood glucose levels found during pregnancy in individuals who did not previously have diabetes. Overall, dietary control for gestational diabetes is similar to that for typical diabetes patients. It involves avoiding high-calorie, high-sugar, and fried foods. It is advisable to consume more fruits and vegetables, as well as foods with a lower glycemic index. Increasing the intake of whole grains and mixed grains is recommended, while nuts such as peanuts and sunflower seeds should be limited. Foods should be steamed rather than boiled, and fried foods must be strictly avoided.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Chen Xie
Endocrinology
57sec home-news-image

Do you need insulin for gestational diabetes?

Gestational diabetes refers to the elevated blood glucose levels found during pregnancy. For patients diagnosed with gestational diabetes, we first need to control diet and exercise to manage blood sugar levels, maintaining fasting blood glucose between 4.0-5.3 mmol/L and postprandial (two hours after meals) blood glucose between 4.4-6.7 mmol/L. If blood sugar control can be achieved through diet and exercise, insulin treatment is not required. However, if blood sugar levels still do not meet the standards through diet and exercise, exceeding the figures mentioned earlier, insulin treatment is necessary. For patients receiving insulin treatment, it poses no harm to either the fetus or the mother. In fact, when blood sugar is well-controlled, it can actually reduce the risks associated with gestational diabetes.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Yin Xing
Obstetrics
1min 30sec home-news-image

Can pregnant women with gestational diabetes eat grapes?

Fruits are natural vitamins, and consuming fruits appropriately during pregnancy is extremely significant for supplementing vitamins, which can promote fetal growth. Patients with gestational diabetes are not entirely forbidden from eating fruits; however, it's essential to control the intake of fruits, ideally between 100 to 150 grams per day. Grapes are not completely off-limits, but since grapes have a high sugar content, if consumed, the quantity should be controlled to avoid eating too much. Opting for fruits like kiwis and apples, which have lower sugar content, is a better choice for those with gestational diabetes during pregnancy. Gestational diabetes can affect both the pregnant woman and the fetus. For the pregnant woman, it can increase the rate of miscarriages and is likely to complicate with gestational hypertension. Lowered immunity can lead to infections, particularly urinary and reproductive system infections, may cause excessive amniotic fluid, and increase the likelihood of difficult labor due to a larger baby. The impact on the fetus can lead to congenital disabilities, a significantly large baby, or restricted fetal growth, so it is crucial to control blood sugar levels during pregnancy. While ensuring the pregnant woman is not hungry, insulin can be used when necessary to maintain stable blood sugar levels during pregnancy.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Liang Yin
Endocrinology
1min home-news-image

How is gestational diabetes treated?

The treatment of gestational diabetes includes dietary therapy, exercise therapy, and insulin therapy. For dietary therapy, we mainly control the total calorie intake and supplement with elements such as calcium, iron, folic acid, and various vitamins; in exercise therapy, we aim to control the speed of weight gain, improve the peripheral tissues' utilization of glucose, and improve the lipid profile. For patients whose blood glucose levels do not meet the standards after two weeks of diet and exercise therapy, we initiate insulin therapy. The goal of insulin therapy is to control fasting blood glucose below 5.3 and postprandial blood glucose below 6.7. The methods of insulin therapy include twice daily injections, multiple daily injections, or the use of an insulin pump.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Luo Han Ying
Endocrinology
52sec home-news-image

Is gestational diabetes easy to treat?

Gestational diabetes nowadays is often related to excessive supplementation for pregnant women, meaning eating too much and too well. Families tend to be overprotective, and there is no need for exercise. Additionally, during pregnancy, insulin resistance and some special bodily changes occur. Therefore, between the 24th and 28th weeks, high blood sugar levels can be detected. After the diagnosis of gestational diabetes, first and foremost, it is necessary to adjust one's mindset and control the diet strictly. During pregnancy, it is sufficient to ensure adequate protein intake, and it's not about eating more or better. Secondly, for gestational diabetes, exercise can be intensified to control blood sugar levels.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Luo Han Ying
Endocrinology
56sec home-news-image

When can gestational diabetes be cured?

Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that is somewhat unique. People in this category usually have normal blood glucose levels before pregnancy. However, between the 24th to 28th week of pregnancy, an oral glucose tolerance test is conducted, and if high blood glucose levels are detected, a diagnosis of gestational diabetes is made. For such patients, it is generally recommended to conduct another oral glucose tolerance test 6-8 weeks postpartum. If the results are normal at this time, it indicates that the patient does not have diabetes. However, a very small proportion of individuals may still exhibit high blood glucose levels after the 6-8 week postpartum re-examination. In such cases, continued treatment for diabetes might be necessary.