[Variations in the dietary regimen in type I diabetes mellitus. I. Short-term use of a high-carbohydrate diet].

For a period of two days, while maintaining compensation of diabetes mellitus type I (treated by insulin pump), the authors replaced the usual diabetic diet by a bland carbohydrate diet (2.6 +/- 0.6 MJ/24 h, practically without amino nitrogen). This resulted in a negative energy and nitrogen balance with an indicated adaptation reaction on the second day of administration--reduced amount of catabolic urinary nitrogen, concentration of non-esterified serum fatty acids suggested a slightly increased lipolysis. The insulin consumption per 24 h was significantly reduced, as compared with the control day. A low energy carbohydrate diet is, when administered for a short period under careful control of compensation of diabetes type I, relatively safe and can be used e. g. during intercurrent digestive diseases.