Can just the sight of food raise insulin?

Do you recommend magnesium supplements for constipation? Is a glass of wine OK on a low-carb or keto diet? And can just the sight of food raise insulin?

It’s time for this week’s Q&A about intermittent fasting and low carb with Dr. Jason Fung:

Magnesium supplements for constipation?

Hi Dr. Fung,

Julie

In our IDM program, we get many questions about supplements. Perhaps the single most common supplement we recommend is magnesium. In people with diabetes and in people taking diuretics (water pills that are usually prescribed for high blood pressure), low magnesium levels are especially common. The main symptoms are constipation and cramps. Milk of magnesia is a widely available, over the counter supplement for constipation and I agree it often helps.

Dr. Jason Fung

Is a glass of wine OK?

Is a glass of wine OK when on a low-carb and intermittent-fasting regimen?

Deborah

During fasting, I don’t recommend it. But otherwise, yes, it can be part of a healthy low carb diet, although you need to be careful about the type of wine. Some are very sweet and contain lots of sugar and carbs. You can find a guide to low carb wines on DietDoctor.com.

Read more: 7 things you need to know about alcohol and the keto diet

Dr. Jason Fung

Can just the sight of food raise insulin?

We’ve all heard of studies that show that simply tasting something sweet without ingesting it can raise insulin, but can simply seeing certain foods trigger the same process?

Sylvie

Yes. this is called the cephalic response. The sight or smell of food starts you salivating and insulin starts rising immediately even if you do not eat.

Dr. Jason Fung

More

Intermittent fasting for beginners

Earlier Q&A

Intermittent fasting Q&A

More with Dr. Fung

Dr. Fung has his own blog at intensivedietarymanagement.com. He is also active on Twitter.

His book The Obesity Code is available on Amazon.

His new book, The Complete Guide to Fasting is also available on Amazon.