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Diabetes Bars and Beverages: The Benefits and the Controversies

	Introduction

 
The couple in the advertisement, a pair of retirees, is enjoying a vigorous outing on the beach. They walk briskly through the surf as waves roll in over their feet. We find out that the couple faces having diabetes. However, they use a special food product the ad tells us is "designed for people with diabetes." The product helps them control their blood glucose and maintain optimal health. The scene is hopeful and reassuring that, with the help of this product, it is possible to have good diabetes control, look good, and feel great and to do so without an overwhelming amount of effort.

This ad was no doubt produced to capture the attention of the burgeoning market of individuals with diabetes—16 million adults in the United States.¹ Through visual suggestion, the ad offers an important message about positive lifestyle choices, such as doing moderate physical activity, eating right, maintaining a healthy weight, managing stress, and enjoying life. However, at the end of the scene, a significant oversight becomes obvious. When the waves wash back, we see the couple, otherwise seemingly doing things right, walking along barefooted, thereby leaving themselves vulnerable to potentially undesirable consequences.

The food item advertised is one of a growing number of products known as "functional" or "medical" foods that are formulated to address the nutrition concerns of people with diabetes or abnormal glucose tolerance. These products, in the form of beverages and snack bars, are developed to meet society’s demand for convenience, portability, and good taste. At the same time, they are promoted as healthy foods that help people with diabetes manage their disease by improving glycemic control and lowering risk factors for long-term complications, especially cardiovascular disease.

This article offers information about currently available diabetes bars and beverages, the research that has driven . . . [Full Text of this Article]

	Functional Features of Diabetes Medical Foods

 
Resistant starch and soluble fiber
Protein and fat
Vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants

	Implications for Use

 

	Footnotes

 

	References

 

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