Ten foods to tackle diabetes

Diabetes is spreading to epic proportions in the UK. It affects 3.2 million people, a figure which has doubled since 1996 and is expected to rise to five million by 2025.

Around 10 per cent of these people have type 1 diabetes, where the body can’t produce enough of the hormone insulin to convert carbohydrates to energy stores. This tends to be diagnosed in childhood, and is associated with the failure of the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.

The other 90 per cent of people have type 2 diabetes, where the body either fails to produce enough insulin or is resistant to it. This has been shown to be associated with being overweight and is more common in middle-aged and older people. Despite this, the first cases in children were diagnosed in 2000 — a sad reflection of western diets and sedentary lifestyles.

All too often doctors find themselves battling the repercussions of poorly controlled diabetes.