Dietary fibre is not one chemical constituent like fat and protein. It is composed of many different sorts of molecules. Fibre can be divided into soluble and insoluble types.

Soluble fibre tends to be viscous (thick and jelly-like) and will slow down digestion for this reason. Foods with more soluble fibre, like oats and legumes, therefore have low G.I. factors.

Insoluble fibre is not viscous and doesn’t slow digestion. Wholemeal bread and white bread have similar G.I. factors. Brown pasta and brown rice have similar values to their white counterparts. Sometimes insoluble fibre acts as a physical barrier which prevents the enzymes from attacking the starch. Whole (intact) grains of wheat, rye and barley have lower G.I. factors than cracked grains.

Bread has a G.I. of around 70 and lentils of around 29. Can I eat twice as much of the low G.I. food as the high G.I. food?

Yes, your blood sugar levels should be approximately the same after two serves of lentils or pasta compared with one serve of bread or potatoes. But, you will have eaten twice as many kilojoules (Calories). In practice, you will find that it is very difficult to eat a double serve of foods like lentils and pasta because they are very satiating and fill you up. If you can eat twice as much, it may be a good thing, because you are unlikely to have room for high-fat and less nutritious foods!

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The short answer to this is no, it need not do so, and certainly not when you are young. Sex development in both boys and girls, men and women, is not affected by diabetes. Sexual feelings are just the same whether you have diabetes or not. The ability to enjoy sexual relationships and to have children is the same for people with diabetes also. The risk of pregnancy after intercourse is just the same as for people without diabetes, and those with diabetes need to take the same responsibility and precautions to prevent unwanted pregnancy as other people.

Young men may hear that impotence can be a problem for people with diabetes in later life. Impotence means difficulty or inability for a man to have or to maintain an erection. This may occur in some people after many years and may be a greater risk if diabetic control is poor. There are a number of possible causes for this apart from it being a complication of diabetes, and there are forms of treatment that may help if it does occur. It is another good reason of course to aim for careful control of your diabetes if you are a boy.

Can I have the pill?

Yes, but you should of course discuss this with your physician. There is no evidence that the contraceptive pill causes more problems in women with diabetes than in others, and the pill should not upset diabetic control. You will of course have a low-dose pill and have regular checks with your doctor while you are having it.

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