By Taylor Luck

AMMAN - For hundreds of thousands in the Kingdom suffering from diabetes, fasting during the holy month of Ramadan requires extra precaution, according to experts.

Approximately 30 per cent of the population over the age of 25 suffers from the disease, according to the National Centre for Diabetes Endocrinology and Genetics (NCDEG).

The NCDEG, which treats some 267,548 diabetics from across the Kingdom, discourages those with “type 1 diabetes” from fasting during Ramadan as their bodies are incapable of producing insulin.

Those suffering from type 2 diabetes, who make up 90 per cent of the Kingdom’s diabetes patients, are able to fast, providing they have normal kidney function, according to NCDEG President Kamel Ajlouni.

“This segment of the population, as long as their kidneys are functioning normally, can fast,” Ajlouni told The Jordan Times.

As long as blood sugar levels are managed properly, there are no inherent health risks with fasting during the holy month for those with type 2 diabetes, he said, noting that unhealthy food practices year round pose a greater threat.

“People, particularly those with diabetes, overeat or eat unhealthy 11 months out of the year, and that is an even greater risk,” he noted.

Even while fasting, those with type 2 diabetes must take a close look at what foods they consume, according to WHO dietician and nutrition expert Tatyana Kour.

“The most important thing for those with diabetes is to manage their blood sugar during the night,” Kour told The Jordan Times.

In order for diabetes patients to fast correctly, they must identify major sources of carbohydrates to maintain their blood sugar during the night hours, namely bread, pasta, cereal, pastries and fruit, she stressed.

In addition, diabetics should receive doses of protein from sources such as milk, cheese, yogurt, atayef and kanaffa, the expert said.

When breaking the fast at iftar, diabetics should have 45-65 grammes of carbohydrates and soluble fibre prior to the rest of their meal, she indicated.

In between iftar and sohour, Kour said diabetes patients should consume three snacks of 15 grammes of carbohydrates each, the equivalent to three medium-sized dates, at two hour intervals.

For sohour, the last meal before sunrise, diabetics should aim to consume 30-45 grammes of carbohydrates in order to best manage their blood sugar before the start of their fast.

For patients taking insulin shots, she suggested modifying their carbohydrate intake with the amount of insulin they take, which may require larger or smaller portions.