Oats and spikes

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harbottle

harbottle

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
This morning’s breakfast was over 30g of carbs, as I had some oats with my yogurt and berries.

This happened:

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About an hour after I ate, I took a reading at the ‘peak’

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I don’t see such dramatic falls with low carb meals. It seems to just potter around a bit if I have 10g of carbs. Upping it seems to cause quite a dramatic response quite early.
 
You will find many a post on here about the mysteries of oats. I know some of us don't either bother with oats or porridge for this reason.

It took me years to work out how my body reacts with oats, and only the libre and omnipod have worked. And I have only worked it out with the below ingredients.

I have 50g oats (35g carbs) 10g Oatbarn (5.2 carbs) and 14g raisins (10g carbs), 150ml skimmed milk, 150 water = total 55g of carbs.
My normal ratio for any other food should be 1U for 10gs, for this it should be 5.5U, but some how I have 4.6U for 46g of carbs, and it works, it shouldn't but it does.

If I have anything else at breakfast I have 1U per 10g and it works, but the oats do their own thing.

Good for us, and worth it if you can work it out for your own body but I do know a few who don't and for other combinations of porridge I have to work that out, say if I am away traveling with work.
 
Yes, oats seem to have a different response for different people (Maybe due to gut enzymes differences?).

In my case I'm no longer on any medication for my diabetes, but cut out oats in 2021 when my hba1c was 83.

I was just slightly astonished by the rapid response from own metabolism, which I assumed was broken beyond repair. I also noticed that after eating more carbs than usual, levels remain lower during the day. I *rarely* have a single meal that is more than 20g of carbs, and it's generally more like 10g.
 
harbottle said:
Yes, oats seem to have a different response for different people (Maybe due to gut enzymes differences?).

In my case I'm no longer on any medication for my diabetes, but cut out oats in 2021 when my hba1c was 83.

I was just slightly astonished by the rapid response from own metabolism, which I assumed was broken beyond repair. I also noticed that after eating more carbs than usual, levels remain lower during the day. I *rarely* have a single meal that is more than 20g of carbs, and it's generally more like 10g.
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You might find a rare occasion that has more carbs than usual provokes a “panic” response and a huge insulin reaction compared to the smaller response usually demanded. Hence lower glucose levels for a while.

BUT, do it more than once in a while and it becomes the norm, the “overreaction” ceases, insulin resistance increases due to consistently higher circulating levels all meaning higher glucose levels not lower.
 
I have oats 2-3 times a week and see a similar response every time, which as far as I can see is completely normal.

Never heard of a 'panic response'. As far as I'm aware the beta cells respond to levels of BG and release either stored insulin (First phase) or produce some (Slower second phase.) - and the level they respond to can be elevated due to low carb diets. (According to something I read by Dr Guess, an Oxford researcher.)
 
harbottle said:
I have oats 2-3 times a week and see a similar response every time, which as far as I can see is completely normal.

Never heard of a 'panic response'. As far as I'm aware the beta cells respond to levels of BG and release either stored insulin (First phase) or produce some (Slower second phase.) - and the level they respond to can be elevated due to low carb diets. (According to something I read by Dr Guess, an Oxford researcher.)
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I wasn’t suggesting it was an official title (hence the quote marks). It’s a thing I’ve seen in myself on quite a number of occasions and spoken with quite a number of other type 2 having had the same. If your body is used a particular level of glucose and it randomly increases the beta cells need to increase their production yes? If they aren’t well accustomed to that extra production they may not be as accurate as usual in hitting the spot first time. Now whether that fits your circumstances or not I’ve no idea.

I confess I thought you were commenting that it was an unusual reaction for you when I initially replied. Re reading it tonight it seems you were comparing fast returns to base after oats against a slower return with low carb foods. Perhaps the higher, faster (for you) carbs in oats provoke your first stage response, whereas with low carb there’s just not enough to trigger it so it mopping up what glucose there is gets left mostly to the second stage. Type 2 is well recognised as having a dysregulated first stage and the heavy lifting being done by the second and I doubt we all are identical in exactly which ratios or in response to which carbs at what level.

Out of curiosity what does you graph do in the hours after the oats?
 
harbottle said:
I have oats 2-3 times a week and see a similar response every time, which as far as I can see is completely normal.

Never heard of a 'panic response'. As far as I'm aware the beta cells respond to levels of BG and release either stored insulin (First phase) or produce some (Slower second phase.) - and the level they respond to can be elevated due to low carb diets. (According to something I read by Dr Guess, an Oxford researcher.)
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The issue with one-offs (and thereby the "panic response @HSSS mentioned) is that our bodies can't always magic up all the required enzymes and hormones to help digest unusual (to us) food. Doing it again, the body has had a bit of warning and might be better prepared.

Those are my words describing something in a couple of papers I have read. (No, I don't have the papers to hand, unfortunately)

Like all things diabetes, we have to work it out for ourselves and decide if any given "risk" is worth it.

(Can't see anything dire in your response. You don't linger at your higher level, and normies can also have quite sharp rises and falls, depending on their diet.)
 
AndBreathe said:
The issue with one-offs (and thereby the "panic response @HSSS mentioned) is that our bodies can't always magic up all the required enzymes and hormones to help digest unusual (to us) food. Doing it again, the body has had a bit of warning and might be better prepared.

Those are my words describing something in a couple of papers I have read. (No, I don't have the papers to hand, unfortunately)

Like all things diabetes, we have to work it out for ourselves and decide if any given "risk" is worth it.

(Can't see anything dire in your response. You don't linger at your higher level, and normies can also have quite sharp rises and falls, depending on their diet.)
Click to expand...

I had the same breakfast this morning, with the same result (Muddied by some cheeky chocolate when I got in to work!)

Looking back to 2021, 3 months after diagnosis and weight loss, I had some oats when I wore my Libre trial (I didn't fingerprick for 3 months.) and saw it go up and drop dramatically in the same way.

Read some stuff about hormones and enzymes, there's apparently one that helps slow down the digestion of oats.

I get a similar response to oats that I get from a pint of beer. A rise up to the 7s and then a dramatic fall.
Sorry, I meant pints of beer. 🙂
 
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