Nutrition and insulin dependent diabetes in the young: general approaches.

The so called diabetic diet, with a high intake of protein and fat, grown up in order to gain a better glycemic control, can be responsible for long term impairment of macro-angiopathic complication. For this reason many paediatric diabetologists, according to recent Dietary Allowances, recommend to diabetic children and adolescents a diet with the following characteristics: A variable total energy intake based on energy need High content of starch, particularly rich in soluble fibres Protein content lower than usual intake Increased mono and polyunsaturated fats.