St. Louis, MO, 23 November, 2010 — Proper nutrition therapy is essential for the successful management of type 1 and type 2 diabetes and registered dietitians (RDs) can play a key role as part of the health care team. An article in the December issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association reviews the evidence and nutrition practice recommendations presented in the American Dietetic Association Nutrition Practice Guidelines for Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes in Adults. This complete and systematic review presents 29 key nutrition practice guidelines in order to best support people with diabetes.
According to Marion J Franz, MS, RD, lead author and noted nutrition consultant, “This publication has reviewed the process for developing the guidelines, identified major and contributing factors for diabetes nutrition therapy, reviewed and summarized research, and stated the nutrition practice recommendations that are to be integrated into the nutrition care process. The nutrition practice guidelines provide recommendations for assessing client/patient needs and for selecting interventions, monitoring and evaluating outcomes. The evidence is strong that medical nutrition therapy provided by RDs is an effective and essential therapy in the management of diabetes. RDs are uniquely skilled in this process.”
The authors conducted a thorough review of the research literature to distill evidence-based nutrition recommendations and practice guidelines regarding the major nutrition therapy factors — carbohydrates (intake, sucrose, non-nutritive sweeteners, glycemic index, fiber), protein intake, cardiovascular disease, and weight management. Armed with information regarding what works and why, RDs can encourage lifestyle changes and select appropriate interventions based on key recommendations that include consistency in day-to-day carbohydrate intake, adjusting insulin doses to match carbohydrate intake, substitution of sucrose-containing foods, usual protein intake, cardioprotective nutrition interventions, weight management strategies, regular physical activity, and use of self-monitored blood glucose data.
Key recommendations:
- Consistency in day-to-day carbohydrate intake for persons with type 2 diabetes
- Adjusting insulin dose to match carbohydrate intake for persons with type 1 diabetes
- Focusing on total carbohydrate intake rather than the type of carbohydrate
- Cardio protective nutrition interventions
- Weight management strategies
- Regular physical activity
- Use of self glucose monitoring data to determine if goals are being met
The article is “The Evidence for Medical Nutrition Therapy for Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes in Adults” by Marion J Franz, MS, RD; Margaret A Powers, PhD, RD; Carolyn Leontos, MS, RD; Lea Ann Holzmeister, RD; Karmeen Kulkarni, MS, RD; Arlene Monk, RD; Naomi Wedel, MS, RD; and Erica Gradwell, MS, RD. It appears in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, Volume 110 Issue 12 (December 2010) published by Elsevier.
In an accompanying podcast interview lead author Marion J Franz, MS, RD, and Kari Kren, MPH, RD, LD, Manager, Evidence-based Practice, Research & Strategic Business Development, ADA, discuss the importance and implications of “The Evidence for Medical Nutrition Therapy for Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes in Adults.” It is available at http://adajournal.org/content/podcast.
Notes for Editors
Full text of this article is available to journalists upon request. Contact Nancy Burns at 314-447-8013 or [email protected] to obtain copies.
Journalists wishing to set up interviews with Marion J. Franz may contact her at 952-941-6751 (office), 952-270-0194 (mobile), or [email protected].
An audio podcast featuring an interview with lead author Marion J. Franz, MS, RD, and Kari Kren, MPH, RD, LD, Manager, Evidence-based Practice, Research & Strategic Business Development, American Dietetic Association (under embargo until November 23, 2010, 12:01 AM ET) ) and information specifically for journalists are located at http://adajournal.org/content/mediapodcast. Excerpts from the podcast may be reproduced by the media; contact Nancy Burns to obtain permission.
About the Authors
Marion J Franz, MS, RD
Nutrition/Health Consultant, Nutrition Concepts by Franz, Inc., Minneapolis, MN
Margaret A Powers, PhD, RD
Research Scientist, International Diabetes Center at Park Nicollet, Minneapolis, MN
Carolyn Leontos, MS, RD
Professor Emeritus, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, Las Vegas, NV
Lea Ann Holzmeister, RD
Pediatric Nutritionist, Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Phoenix, AZ
Karmeen Kulkarni, MS, RD
Director, Scientific Affairs, Abbott Diabetes Care, Salt Lake City, UT
Arlene Monk, RD
Research Clinician, International Diabetes Center at Park Nicollet, Minneapolis, MN
Naomi Wedel, MS, RD
Clinical Specialist, Roche Diagnostics, Madison, WI
Erica Gradwell, MS, RD
Lead Evidence Analyst/ Independent Contractor, American Dietetic Association, Arvada, CO
About the Journal of the American Dietetic Association
The official journal of the American Dietetic Association (www.eatright.org) the Journal of the American Dietetic Association (www.adajournal.org) is the premier source for the practice and science of food, nutrition and dietetics. The monthly, peer-reviewed journal presents original articles prepared by scholars and practitioners and is the most widely read professional publication in the field. The Journal focuses on advancing professional knowledge across the range of research and practice issues such as: nutritional science, medical nutrition therapy, public health nutrition, food science and biotechnology, food service systems, leadership and management and dietetics education.
The Journal has been ranked 16th of 66 journals in Impact Factor in the Nutrition and Dietetics category of the Journal Citation Reports® 2010, published by Thomson Reuters, with an impact factor of 3.128.
About the American Dietetic Association
The American Dietetic Association (www.eatright.org) is the world’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. ADA is committed to improving the nation’s health and advancing the profession of dietetics through research, education and advocacy.
About Elsevier
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