World Patient Safety Day reminds us that safety in healthcare extends far beyond medication; it encompasses the food on our plates. For people living with type 1 diabetes, diet is not just about managing weight or energy; it is a cornerstone of safety, as critical as the correct insulin dose.

A new 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis by Zeng et al., published in eClinicalMedicine, sheds new light on how dietary patterns directly impact both blood sugar control and patient safety. By evaluating 35 randomized controlled trials, the researchers explored how different diets affect outcomes in type 1 diabetes, and the results are both encouraging and eye-opening.

What the Evidence Shows

The review found several consistent benefits linked to high-fibre and carbohydrate-restricted dietary patterns:

• High-fibre diets reduce HbA1c levels
  Lower HbA1c means better long-term blood sugar control, which reduces the risk of diabetes complications.

• High-fibre diets lower the incidence of dangerous hypoglycaemia episodes
  Hypoglycaemia is one of the most serious and immediate risks for people with type 1 diabetes, making this finding particularly important for safety.

• Carbohydrate-restricted diets improve time in range
  More time spent within the target glucose range means fewer fluctuations and a lower risk of both hyperglycaemia and hypoglycaemia.

• Carbohydrate-restricted diets reduce insulin requirements
  This not only simplifies management but also reduces the chance of dosing errors—another important aspect of patient safety

Why This Matters for Safety

For decades, patient safety in type 1 diabetes has often focused on the accuracy of insulin dosing. While that remains essential, this new evidence shows that diet can either protect against or contribute to the very risks insulin is meant to control.

By choosing the right dietary strategies, patients can reduce dangerous lows, stabilize blood sugar, and minimize the margin for error in insulin use. In other words, the wrong diet can be just as risky as the wrong dose.

A Call to Action

As we mark World Patient Safety Day, it’s time to broaden the conversation. Safer care isn’t just about prescriptions and procedures; it’s about empowering patients with the knowledge and tools to make informed choices about their nutrition.

The science is clear: nutrition is a powerful tool for safer, long-term diabetes management.

Read the full study for evidence-based insights: Effects of different dietary patterns on glucose management in type 1 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials