'Old Is Gold': How Traditional Indian Dietary Practices Can Support Pediatric Diabetes Management.

Nutrition is crucial for maintaining normal growth, development, and glycemic control in young people with diabetes (PwD). Undue restrictions cause nutrient deficiencies as well as poor adherence to meal plans. Widespread availability of low-cost, ultra-processed, and hyperpalatable food is further damaging. Most families struggle to find ways to provide nutritious, yet attractive, food with a low glycemic index (GI). India is one of the oldest continuous civilizations with a rich and diverse cultural and culinary heritage. Traditional dietary practices, including the centuries-old 'Thali' (meaning plate) concept, emphasize combinations (grains, lentils, vegetables, dairy, spices, prebiotics and probiotics, and fats) of local, seasonal, and predominantly plant-based ingredients. These practices ensure that all of the necessary food groups are provided and fit well with current evidence-based recommendations, including the International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes (ISPAD) 2018 Guidelines. Techniques for the preparation, cooking, and preservation of food further impact the GI and nutrient availability. These practices benefit nutrient density, diet diversity, and palatability and thus improve adherence to meal plans and glycemic control. This narrative review describes the ancient wisdom, food composition, and culinary practices from across India which are still valuable today. These may be of benefit worldwide to improve glycemic control as well as quality of life, especially in PwD.

Growth disorders in type 1 diabetes: an Indian experience.

Though children with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) are often tall at the time of diagnosis, they may experience growth retardation, pubertal delay or both, which may be due to poor glycemic control, associated diseases or chronic complications. Factors affecting growth include: gender, genetic environment, age at diagnosis, diabetes duration, puberty, metabolic control, and status of growth hormone (GH), insulin-like growth factors (IGFs), and IGF binding proteins (IGFBPs). Insulin regulates expression of hepatic GH receptors, affects IGFs and IGFBPs synthesis by modulating GH postreceptor events, and significantly increases IGF-I bioactivity. Low portal insulin seen in T1DM leads to GH hypersecretion, low circulating IGF-I and IGFBP-3, and high circulating IGFBP-1. Newly diagnosed T1DM patients have decreased GHBP which can be restored with insulin therapy. Growth velocity should be appropriate for the age of the child/adolescent, and the mid-parental height. Height, weight and blood pressure (BP) should be measured and plotted on a growth chart at least 2-3 times a year. Puberty should also be assessed annually. Following precautions are to be taken in T1DM children: checking for pubertal onset and ensuring it is not delayed, testing early when growth falters (hypothyroidism/celiac disease/puberty/other conditions), aiming for best possible metabolic control (multidose regimens, regardless of type of insulin), and encouraging dietary calcium and protein, exposure to sunlight, Vitamin D supplements and exercise.