The role of carbohydrates in the prevention and management of type 2 diabetes

Increasing attention has been focused on the physical properties and physiological effects of carbohydrates in the prevention of type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes, representing about 85% of diabetic patients, is defined as a metabolic disorder of multiple etiology, characterized by chronic hyperglycemia with disturbances of carbohydrate, fat, and protein metabolism resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. Due to increasing obesity, physical inactitivity, and dietary factors, type 2 diabetes has emerged as a major epidemic of the 20th and 21st centuries. The global prevalence is estimated to increase from the current approximate 150 million cases to 300 million in 2025