Hi there!
My husband is a Type 1 diabetic. He struggles to gain weight.
How can he gain weight without compromising his health?
Is there any supplements that would be safe to use? Or any food that will help him to gain weight?
Thanks!!
– Rianette
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Normally diabetics struggle to loose weight! A few points to consider before thinking of supplementation; is his sugar controlled? Controlled sugar means HBA1c below 7% at least, fasting glucose below 7? How is his thyroid function? Any bowel problems? All of this has an effect on your weight. If all of these are within normal limits think of supplements like Diabion and Nutren shakes or Diabetic Plus mini-meal shakes.
Type 1 diabetics will struggle to gain weight because the energy we eat (Carbs) can only be “accessed” if we have enough insulin to carry the glucose throiugh to our muscles.
In ideal circumstances, we inject just enough insulin to match the carbohydrate content of the food we eat, leaving not much left for additional exertion and weight gain! It’s a question of balancing insulin with carbs.
So, to gain weight, your husband should eat more, but then also increase his insulin dosage. It’s probably best to do this after consulting an expert (i.e. not me!), because with more insulin comes the possibility of more hypo’s. Also, too much fat is not going to be a good thing in the long term.
I hope this helps!