Nutrition and diabetic foot: what you need to know? Diabetes and its complications

Proper foot care is extremely important for diabetic patients. Diabetes patients face many painful side effects. The most common ailment is foot ulcers, where the skin on the feet and the skin around the toes begins to crack and tear, causing pain and risk of infection.

According to the American Podiatric Medical Association, 14-24 percent all diabetic patients develop foot ulcers. Foot ulcers can double the cost of managing diabetes, health experts point out.
It is these factors that confirm the importance of self-care for most patients with diabetes , with particular emphasis on proper nutrition and constant foot care. Left untreated, diabetic patients can develop more serious health problems, especially with proper wound care.

Proper nutrition and diabetes

Ulcers are the result of neuropathy , a persistently high blood sugar level that damages the nerves of the foot. High blood pressure is often the result of poor nutrition: a lack of nutrients makes it more difficult to manage diabetes-related problems. Health professionals have compiled a list of nutrition-based guidelines to help reduce the risk of foot ulcers . These guidelines include:

Immune function and diabetes mellitus

Any good nutrition plan should include the right vitamins and minerals. These substances can help boost your immune system, which can help your body heal certain wounds and fight infections. Minerals and vitamins are especially important for diabetics: zinc, vitamin A, magnesium, vitamin C and copper.

Weight loss and diabetes

For diabetics , losing weight can actually help with high blood pressure. In fact, according to the 2012 according to a study, it is enough to reduce body weight by only 5% in order to substantially reduce blood pressure. However, some diabetics lose weight without consuming carbohydrate foods, which contain many beneficial minerals.

Glycemic index control

Also called GI, this index tells you how carbohydrates affect your body. Slow-release carbs like fresh fruit, nuts, and sweet potatoes are much better than fast-release carbs like whole grains, pasta, and white rice. According to a study in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, high A1C—the result of an imbalanced GI—can actually slow down the wound healing process.

Proper foot care and diabetes

According to the National Diabetes Association, there were 73,000 nontraumatic lower extremity amputations among adults in the United States; 60 percent of those patients were diabetic. (with diabetes)cFortunately, proper foot care can often prevent the need for this procedure. Diabetic foot care tips:

• Trim your nails often. This is not only a cosmetic procedure, but also a good opportunity to find possible skin lesions.
• Take care of your skin. It is recommended to use a cream specially adapted for the care of the skin of diabetic feet and legs. Apply the moisturizer on the foot, but not between the toes.
• Do exercises specifically for the feet. Wiggle your toes once a day to help improve overall blood flow and circulation.
• Protect your feet from the weather. Wear socks when it's cold and put sunscreen on your feet in the summer.
• Always wear appropriate footwear. Choose comfortable shoes that are slightly looser around the toes.
• Check your feet every day. Beware of cuts, bruises, swelling, red spots and other damage.