Objective: To ascertain the nutritional pattern, including the day-to-day variability in the
macronutrients consumption, in Spanish adults with IDDM or NIDDM.
Research Design and Methods: The diabetes Nutrition and Complications Trial (DNCT) is a prospective multicentre
study designed for finding out which is the nutritional behaviour of diabetic subjects
in Spain, based on a diet record that patients prospectively fill in for 7 days. Day-to-day
variability in nutrients intake is given as the mean of the mean standard deviations
of the daily macronutrients intake, as well as the mean of the mean coefficients of
variation. Glycaemic control was assessed by measuring the HbA1 c during the study
period and the mean of the 3 previous determinations. Data of the first 60 patients
(30 IDDM, M/F 15/15,3O NIDDM, M/F 15/15) are shown in this paper.
Results: The overall energy intake of Spanish subjects with IDDM or NIDDM, expressed as median,
are 1978 and 1707 Kcal/day, respectively, were distributed as follows (IDDM and NIDDM):
Carbohydrate 36.5 and 37.4%, protein 17.9 and 20.0%, fat 41.7 and 36.8% (saturated
14.7 and 11.6%, polyunsaturated 5.0 and 4.2%, monounsaturated 22.1 and 20.8%, saturated/total
fat ratio 0.29 and 0.26, cholesterol 279 and 245 mg), alcohol 2.6 and 4.2%, dietary
fibre 19 and 15 gr. Women received less energy than men and subjects with N1DDM ate
less than subjects with IDDM (both p < 0.05). The means of the standard deviations
of the average carbohydrate intake were 37.0 ± 20.1 and 28.9 ± 20.9 g., whereas the
means of the coefficients of variation were 18.3 ± 8.5 and 15.5%, expressed as the
average percentage of carbohydrates intake for both IDDM and NIDDM subjects, respectively.
There was no correlation between the day-to-day variability in carbohydrate intake
and HbA1 c.
Conclusions: Diet of diabetic patients in Spain is low in carbohydrate and high in fat content,
mainly monounsaturated fat. Day-to-day variability in carbohydrate intake is not associated
with the glycaemic control.
Key words
Diabetes nutrition - Glycaemic control - Day-to-day variability
