ISLAMABAD, Nov 14 (Online): The link between carbs and type 2 diabetes (T2D) is well-established, but new research suggests that cutting carbs could help minimize risk for those who may be susceptible to developing the condition.<\/p>\n
The study, a random clinical trial (RCT) recently published in JAMA Network Open Diabetes and EndocrinologyTrusted Source, found that a low carbohydrate diet promoted weight loss and improved fasting glucose levels in subjects who were at risk for developing T2D.
\nLead author and epidemiologist Kirsten S. Dorans of Tulane University in New Orleans, LA, told Medical News Today:<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile low carb diets are often recommended for those with type 2 diabetes, little evidence has existed for whether eating fewer carbs can impact the blood sugar of those with mild diabetes or prediabetes who aren\u2019t treated by medications. This study was conducted in people with blood sugar that ranged from prediabetes to mild diabetes levels who were not on diabetes medications.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lowering blood sugar with a low carb diet
\nHemoglobin A1C is a widely used clinical term to measure long-term blood sugar levels.<\/p>\n
According to the American Diabetes Foundation, a person who has prediabetes has A1C levels between 5.7 and less than 6.5%. Higher A1C levels may signify diabetes.<\/p>\n
Dr. Dorans explained that subjects enrolled in the study had a hemoglobin A1C range of 6.0 to 6.9%.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis range chosen as the lower bound aligns with the World Health Organization\u2019sTrusted Source lower cutoff point for prediabetes and the upper bound with less than the 7.0% American Diabetes Association hemoglobin A1C target,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
For the study, 150 adults were recruited at a New Orleans academic center. The 6-month trial ran from September 2018 to June 2021. Participants ranged in age from 40 to 70 years old and were divided into two groups.<\/p>\n
The first group was tasked with reducing their daily carbohydrate intake to less than 40 grams for the first 3 months and less than 60 grams from month 3 to the end of the trial.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe found that nutritional counseling promoting a low-carbohydrate diet lowered hemoglobin A1C over 6 months,\u201d Dr. Dorans said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn line with prior work, the low-carbohydrate diet group also lost substantial weight compared with the group of people who stayed with their usual diet.\u201d<\/p>\n
At the end of 6 months, Dr. Dorans and her research team found that A1C levels reduced by 0.23% more in the low carb group than the usual diet group.<\/p>\n
Low carb diets and ketosis
\nVery low carb diets, such as the ketogenic diet, may triggers a metabolic process known as ketosis, which is when the body burns stored fats for energy instead of glucose.<\/p>\n
But ketosis does not typically occur with a low carb diet.
\nAccording to the study authors, \u201cfew participants had detectable urinary ketones, suggesting ketosis was unlikely to account for the findings.\u201d<\/p>\n
Still, Dr. Samuel Klein, a professor of cell biology and physiology at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, not involved in the study, expressed concerns about study\u2019s participants meeting their carbohydrate targets.<\/p>\n
He told MNT the data \u201cshows that there is poor compliance with the diet.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt doesn\u2019t mean [study participants] didn\u2019t reduce their carbohydrate intake, but they didn\u2019t achieve the goals set out. If they were more compliant, [there] might have been a greater change. They must have changed their carbohydrate intake, which reduced their calorie intake. It doesn\u2019t look like they were very ketogenic.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2013 Dr. Samuel Klein, professor of cell biology and physiology
\nPossible limitations and biases of the research
\nThe authors note a limitation of the study:
\n\u201cThere were significant decreases in caloric intake in the low-carbohydrate diet intervention group during follow-up, aligning with large observed weight loss. With this study design, we are unable to conduct an isocaloric comparison between the low-carbohydrate and usual diet groups or to determine effects on HbA1c [hemoglobin A1C] independently of weight loss,\u201d the authors wrote.
\nDr. Klein pointed out the amount of contact the carb-reduction group had with study interventionists offering guidance versus the usual-diet group.<\/p>\n
Both groups were supplied with a handbook containing dietary guidelines and recipes at the start of the trial.<\/p>\n
To help hit the goal of fewer than 40 grams of carbs, the carb-reduction group received individual sessions, along with four group sessions on alternate weeks and four telephone follow-ups. For the 60-gram goal, there were three monthly group meetings and three telephone calls.<\/p>\n
The usual-diet group was offered optional monthly sessions but did not otherwise receive guidance beyond the initial handouts.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was a lot more contact in the treatment group than in the control group,\u201d said Dr. Klein.<\/p>\n
Long-term low carb diets:
\nWhat are the risks?
\nDr. Jason Ng, clinical associate professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, not involved in the study, told MNT:<\/p>\n
\u201cImproving sugar levels via less carb intake can be an effective type 2 diabetes lifestyle treatment. This may or may not influence weight loss, as weight loss has many variables to take into consideration. However, if you have prediabetes or mild type 2 diabetes, this intervention can lower your sugar levels even if one does not experience accompanying weight loss.\u201d
\nDr. Klein added that when you reduce carbohydrate intake and increase your intake of fat, \u201cyou tend to increase LDL cholesterol, which was not the case here, but you do decrease triglyceride and increase HDL cholesterol, which is a good thing.\u201d<\/p>\n
But whether a low carb diet is hazardous to health may really be dependent on the individual.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would say we don\u2019t have good evidence of long-term adverse effects. We know that a lot of people are on the Atkins diet, and we don\u2019t see any real reports of problems,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD, Nov 14 (Online): The link between carbs and type 2 diabetes (T2D) is well-established, but new research suggests that cutting carbs could help minimize risk for those who may be susceptible to developing the condition. The study, a random clinical trial (RCT) recently published […]<\/p>\n
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