According to the American Diabetes Association, heart disease is, “…one of the most common complications of diabetes—having diabetes doubles your risk for heart attack or stroke.” Fortunately, there are considerable similarities between eating a diabetes-healthy diet and a heart-healthy diet such as the Mediterranean diet.
Olive oil is emphasized in both, but special attention must be paid to carbohydrate intake. A recent study showed for the first time, “…that the type of fat eaten significantly affects blood glucose levels after a high-GI meal in patients with type 1 diabetes. Avoiding foods rich in butter and using extra-virgin olive oil could help improve your postprandial (after-a-meal) blood glucose levels.