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Is Craving Milk A Sign Of Diabetes?

Is Craving Milk A Sign Of Diabetes?

Craving milk is a sign of nutrient deficiencies. But if you’re craving milk while being diabetic, you probably have some valid concerns about eating the said milky treats. You need to consider a few things if you have diabetes and are craving milk.

A health study published by the National Library of Medicine found evidence that may help to explain the phenomenon of diabetic milk cravings. The researchers surveyed 210 people for this study. 105 of these patients had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

The study compared the responses of diabetic patients to those of non-diabetic patients. According to research, diabetes patients have a greater desire for carbohydrates. Diabetics also develop sugar cravings when their blood glucose levels drop. So, craving milk with type 2 diabetes is likely caused by the sugar and carbohydrates in milk. But we couldn’t find any research proving that consuming or craving milk causes diabetes.

Keep reading this post to learn what causes milk cravings among diabetics and healthy ways to deal with it.

Is Craving Milk A Sign Of Diabetes?

Milk is a comfort food containing sugar and carbohydrates, which provides a feeling of satiety, and sometimes diabetics crave milk. However, craving milk is not a sign of diabetes. Rather, it is an effect of the disease itself. For people with diabetes, a craving for milk may mean poor blood glucose levels and carbohydrate cravings.

Milk Nutritional Facts: Sugar, Carbohydrates, and Calories in Milk

Quantity: 1 cup (244 g or 8 ounces per serving)

Type Natural sugar content Carbohydrate Calories
Whole milk (3.25% fat) 12 grams 4.7 grams 150 calories
Low-fat milk (1% fat) 12 grams 5 grams 80-102 calories
Reduced-fat milk (2% fat) 12 grams 4.8 grams 120 – 122 calories
Fat-free/skim milk 12 grams 5 grams 80 calories
Lactose-free milk 12 grams 11 grams 146 calories

Does Milk Raise Insulin Levels?

Dairy contains lactose, a carbohydrate. So we anticipate some insulin release when consuming it. A research paper that studied 13 people with Type 2 diabetes discovered that their insulin response to dairy products was five times higher than expected based on the carbohydrate content of the food.

Another study found that eating dairy causes disproportionately high insulin surges after multiplying the carbohydrate load by 3-6. When subjects were given pure lactose, their insulin responses matched their glycemic index, implying that something distinctive about dairy causes insulin to kick into overdrive.

These papers and studies show a link between milk, specifically lactose, and an increase in insulin production. The exact cause of dairy’s insulinogenic nature is unknown, but milk proteins are thought to play a role.

Is The Lactose Sugar In Milk Bad For Diabetes?

According to NIIDM, lactose (natural sugar in milk) can raise blood glucose levels after a meal. In milk, carbs are broken down and turned into sugar in your bloodstream. You must limit your carbohydrate intake if you have diabetes to keep the disease under control.

Thus, a high blood sugar level may result from drinking too much milk. If you have diabetes, your doctor will likely refer you to a registered dietician.

This shows that consuming too much milk can be bad for diabetes. The carbohydrates in dairy products can destabilize your blood sugar levels and make things worse. So, you must watch the amount of dairy you consume carefully to live a healthy life.

But milk is also full of nutrients that our bodies can use. This is why it is very important to have a routine intake of milk or dairy products if you have diabetes.

ALSO READ: Why Do I Crave Milk? Is It Normal Or A Sign Of Something?

What Kind Of Milk Is Good For Type 2 Diabetics?

Whether we have diabetes or not, we all require dairy products such as milk, chocolate, cheese, and yogurt daily. These all contain proteins, vitamins, and calcium, which help keep your bones and teeth strong.

But since you need to be careful when drinking milk with diabetes, we want to let you know that there are healthier options for milk you can drink with your health condition.

It is best to drink only skimmed, semi-skimmed, or plant-based milk.

Here we will take a closer look at these different types of milk and elaborate on what they are and why they are the best alternatives to whole milk.

The types of milk best for diabetes are as follows:

Skimmed and semi-skimmed milk contains the same calcium, vitamin D, riboflavin, and protein as whole milk. However, skim milk is a better choice for diabetes management due to its lower fat content, which makes it a healthy heart choice, and its lower caloric content helps prevent weight gain.

Almond milk in markets contains added sugar. Sugar-free almond milk, on the other hand, contains 2% carbohydrates. This is significantly lower than low-fat cow’s milk’s 5% carbohydrate content.

Soy milk is plant-based milk suitable for people with diabetes. It has 4.01g of carbohydrates, more than flaxseed and almond milk but not enough to cause blood sugar spikes.

Extra sugars are not present in naturally occurring coconut milk. Coconut milk is healthier for diabetics and a better choice. It will have little effect on glucose levels.

How Much Milk Can People With Diabetes Drink?

If you have diabetes, you can drink unsweetened low-fat milk the same amount as a perfectly healthy person who can drink whole-fat milk, around 3 cups daily.

Since milk is an integral part of our dietary habits and contains vital nutrients that our bodies cannot produce by themselves, it is very good to drink milk every day-provided that you’re not lactose intolerant or allergic to milk.

A healthy adult should consume dairy products like three cups of whole milk daily. This will not only help their bodies to receive vital nutrients from milk, but it will also help to improve their bone health and increase immunity.

But if you have diabetes, you only need to worry about two things. Remember that you can’t drink or consume whole-fat or sweetened milk.

Why Drinking High-Protein Milk At Breakfast Is Good For People With Diabetes?

A study showed that a high-protein breakfast with milk and cereal effectively controls blood sugar levels. Scientists from the University of Guelph’s Human Nutraceutical Research Unit conducted the study in collaboration with the University of Toronto in Canada.

For this randomized, controlled, and double-blind study, researchers randomly assigned participants to either a “low-protein” or a “high-protein” meal, which was cereal with whole-fat or low-fat milk for breakfast.

Both meals reduced blood sugar levels, but the higher protein meal was more effective, according to the researchers. According to the researchers, the high-protein meal made participants feel fuller for longer than the low-protein meal.

Is Flaxseed Milk Good For People With Diabetes?

Flaxseed milk is low in carbohydrates. Unsweetened flax milk contains only 1.02g of carbohydrates, making it an excellent choice for people with diabetes. There is no lactose or carbs in flaxseed milk, which makes it a heart-healthy alternative to cow’s milk.

Supporting normal blood sugar levels is critical for diabetics, and fiber plays an important role. Because of their high fiber content, flax seeds are a low-glycemic food. Eating them will cause your blood sugar levels to rise steadily rather than spike, promoting blood sugar control.

In a four-week study of 29 people with type 2 diabetes, consuming 10 grams of flaxseed powder reduced fasting blood sugar by 19.7% compared to the control group. Another 3-month study on 120 people with type 2 diabetes found that those who consumed 5 grams of flaxseed daily with their food experienced a 12% reduction in fasting blood sugar compared to a control group.

Is Milk At Night Good Or Bad For Diabetics?

Milk raises blood sugar levels because lactose is broken down into sugar; therefore, diabetic patients should avoid drinking whole-milk at night.

Furthermore, the body does not use the energy released by lactose breakdown at night. It is more beneficial to drink milk at breakfast because the body’s sugar levels are low, and the body gets the energy it needs during the day.

However, milk promotes good sleep, so turmeric in low-fat milk can be a good option for people with diabetes before bed. Turmeric has been shown to increase insulin, which can help to prevent blood sugar spikes caused by milk carbohydrates.

Wrapping Up

It is common knowledge that milk is indeed very good for us. Milk gives our bones calcium to make them stronger; it provides our bodies with vital nutrients.

But for some people, drinking too much milk can have negative consequences, such as for people with diabetes. In this article, we have seen many studies that have proven that whole milk can increase cholesterol and blood sugar levels in the body.

Not all hope is lost here; if you’re badly craving milk but have diabetes, you can consider drinking plant-based milk such as soy, coconut, and almond milk. But if you’re not into plant-based dairy products, the best bet is to drink low-fat milk.

Diabetic Craving Milk: Frequently Asked Questions

The type of milk and the amount you drink play a huge role in whether or not it will contribute to your risk of developing diabetes.

For example, drinking flavored sweetened milk can increase your chances of getting diabetes by several times. Flavored sweetened milk is made with high-fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, or sugar and contains a lot of calories and no fiber. It can cause your body to become resistant to insulin, which is what causes type 2 diabetes.

According to the American Diabetes Association, “Milk does contain protein, calcium, potassium and other nutrients that may help to prevent or control high blood sugar levels.”

Hence, milk is not the culprit for people with diabetes if they are careful about how much and what kind of milk they drink (we will elaborate on that further down the article).

When diabetics’ blood sugar levels fall too low, they may crave sugar; “treating” the low with sugar helps bring blood glucose back to a safe level. This is why if you ask anyone with diabetes what food they crave the most; they will tell you they crave sweet treats.

This happens because, When you eat something, your body’s pancreas releases the sugar-lowering hormone insulin. This allows excess glucose from food to be used for energy or stored in the body.

When people with diabetes do not respond to insulin, excess glucose remains in the blood, and blood glucose levels rise.

You become lethargic as your body does not receive the necessary amount of energy. As a result, you start craving sugar because your body sees sugar as a quick source of energy.

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