Scientists found that after six months, patients who followed a low-carb diet containing less than 26 per cent of daily calories from carbohydrates achieved greater rates of type 2 diabetes remission than those who followed other diets traditionally recommended for managing the disease.
The study, which was published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), was the first systematic review to examine the safety and efficacy of low-carb diets in adults and to assess remission rates of type 2 diabetes.
Professor Grant Brinkworth, contributing author to the study and CSIRO Research Scientist, said the research shoes that those who better adhered to a low carb dietary approach had the best health improvements.
“Building on existing research, this study underscores that a low-carb diet can achieve greater weight loss and is more effective in reducing diabetes medication and improving blood glucose control,” Brinkworth said.
“However, this study has gone one step further in showing the low-carb dietary approach to be effective in driving type 2 diabetes into remission.
“We know that lifestyle factors such as what we eat play a major part in determining our risk to type 2 diabetes. The good news is these lifestyle choices are within our control to change.”
The study examined the combined effects of 23 published clinical trials from across the world, involving 1357 participants, including additional data from five of those clinical trials on markers of blood sugar status.
Study co-lead Dr Joshua Goldenberg, National University of Natural Medicine, Helfgott Research Institute in Oregon, said the research will help clinicians and patients to better understand how dietary approach can be used to treat type 2 diabetes.
“The results of this study suggest low carb diets could be considered an effective alternative, while monitoring and adjusting diabetes medication as needed,” he said.
Worldwide it is estimated that one in 11 adults have diabetes and that it is responsible for approximately 11 per cent of deaths annually.
Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of the disease, with 90-95 per cent of all cases.
