Perspective in the Management of Diabetes Mellitus: Deciphering Beneficial Role of Diet and Nutrients

Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a global health problem and increasing all over the world at an alarming rate that appears dramatic as to have been characterized as an epidemic. DM is a chronic metabolic and hormonal disorder and is characterized by increase in blood glucose level accompanied by other biochemical disturbances and clinical manifestation. In addition to disorder of carbohydrate metabolism, DM is also associated with abnormality in fat and protein metabolism. Epigenetics in the target cells due to metabolic memory is also linked to etiology and complications in DM. The etiology of DM is multilateral and multifactorial resulting primarily from the nutritional imbalances and finally due to dysregulated gene function. Among the various therapy for treatment and management of DM, drug therapy is the major and popular approached used to contain DM. However, recently diet therapy is also considered an effective way to control the disease. The diet must be acceptable, readily available, must supply with adequate amount of nutrients and be formulated in a way to normalized body weight. The diet should be low in simple carbohydrate, high in complex carbohydrate, low in fat and high in monounsaturated fatty acids, n-3 fatty acids and rich in dietary antioxidants like vitamin-E, vitamin-A and vitamin-C. Essential minerals like Magnesium (Mg) and Chromium (Cr) also have crucial role in carbohydrates and lipids metabolism and thus important for DM. Not only these, recording the role for nutrition in epigenetics in DM and its complications will provide new insights identifying the molecular mechanism of disease and proper management of DM. This review will update the researchers of the field and the concerned individuals about the role of diet and nutrients in the management and treatment of DM. The role of nutritional epigenetics in DM is also highlighted.