By Kathleen Blanchard RN for EmaxHealth.com

Patients with Type 2 diabetes do better when they set specific diet goals, finds a new study. Ohio State University researchers say choosing a preset number of foods that have low-glycemic index, rather than telling diabetics to “do your best”, also cuts calories.

For the study, Type 2 diabetics were asked to eat either 6 or 8 servings of low-glycemic index foods that are slowly digested carbohydrates. Include were thirty-five adults age 40 to 65 years with Type 2 diabetes whose HgA1c levels were 7.0 or greater.

Most of the participants reached 8 servings a day and were already eating six daily servings. Adding fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds to the diet helped diabetics cut approximately 500 calories a day, the research found.

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