To Carb or not to Carb

lewisjl · #1 (**permalink**) 09-01-2009, 10:13 AM

I am finally going for a needed fasting glucose tolerance test. I have seen on several websites that you should eat high carbs for 3 days before your test, but the ADA is silent and the NIH says eat normally. My doctor's nurse scoffed when I asked the question & said "you should be reducing your carbs, not raising them." So what is the right approach for the GTT? High carbs, low carbs or normal carbs? I am not currently on a reduced carb intake.

cyberus · #2 (**permalink**) 09-01-2009, 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lewisjl

I am finally going for a needed fasting glucose tolerance test. I have seen on several websites that you should eat high carbs for 3 days before your test, but the ADA is silent and the NIH says eat normally. My doctor's nurse scoffed when I asked the question & said "you should be reducing your carbs, not raising them." So what is the right approach for the GTT? High carbs, low carbs or normal carbs? I am not currently on a reduced carb intake.

IMHO do what you normally do.

If you are going in for a GTT it seems to me that doing something special/different is going to skew the results from what it should "normally" be.

princesslinda · #3 (**permalink**) 09-01-2009, 10:37 AM

I agree with Cyberus. Eat as you normally would. If you are diabetic, you'll fail the test regardless.

foxl · #4 (**permalink**) 09-01-2009, 10:47 AM

Well it does bring up the question of insulin storage ... how much can we keep in reserve, and how long is it depleted for?

I tried googling but no luck. Some other interesting stuff, but not that. I will let you know if I find out more though!

sarahspins · #5 (**permalink**) 09-01-2009, 10:49 AM

There is some slight potential for your body to react poorly if you have been on a very low carb diet.. that's why they say to "eat normally" or "carb load" before the test, so they can measure your body's typical response, not what would amount to a stress response if your body is not used to processing carbs at all.

If you are diabetic though, no amount of anything you do before the test will make much difference in the results.

If you aren't currently low carbing I wouldn't worry.. just carry on as normal

notme · #6 (**permalink**) 09-01-2009, 10:51 AM

Eat normally. You want the tests indicative of what you normally do each day.

jkane13 · #7 (**permalink**) 09-01-2009, 01:51 PM

This is not a college entrance exam! You want the test to be accurate, so they prescribe the right thing for you right? Why would you change your habits just before the test?

I would eat normally. Then again, the test is based on long term molecular activity, not what happens a couple of days before the test.