[Does the diabetic patient need special diabetic food?].

At present the diet recommended by the Czech Diabetological Society does not fundamentally differ from the diet recommended to the population of the Czech Republic as a whole. The diet must contain high-fibre foods, provide 55% of the energy as carbohydrates, 30% of the energy should be derived from fats and the protein content should be less than 1 g of protein per kg body weight. The cholesterol intake should not exceed 300 mg/day. The system of intensified insulin therapy made a flexible schedule time, of food intake for type I diabetics possible. For diabetics type II the basic provision is a low energy diet which leads to body weight reduction, as the great majority of these patients is overweight. Products described as "dia" or products where on the wrapping it is maintained that they are suitable for diabetics can be divided into two groups, depending on the sweetener used. Products containing non-caloric sweeteners (saccharin, aspartam, acesulfam or so far not permitted cyclamate) have a markedly reduced energy content and are thus suitable in particular for type II diabetics. Products sweetened with fructose, xylitol, sorbitol have as a rule the same or a similar energy values as sucrose containing products and are of no advantage for diabetics type II who are frequently obese. This is why it will be useful to abandon labelling such as "dia-product" or "product suitable for diabetics". This description should not be permitted and the term "low-energy food" should be used. It will be necessary to define precise criteria for these foodstuffs.