Carbohydrate restriction - the first approach in T2 diabetes management... evidence.

[stuffedolive]

Very recent (2014) academic study critically reviews the evidence thus far and concludes the following:

Highlights

• •
  We present major evidence for low-carbohydrate diets as first approach for diabetes.
• •
  Such diets reliably reduce high blood glucose, the most salient feature of diabetes.
• •
  Benefits do not require weight loss although nothing is better for weight reduction.
• •
  Carbohydrate-restricted diets reduce or eliminate medication.
• •
  There are no side effects comparable to those seen in intensive treatment with drugs.

The journal can be found here:

http://www.nutritionjrnl.com/article/S0899-9007(14)00332-3/fulltext

 

[purplekat]

Thanks for posting that link - going to read it later

 

[stuffedolive]

To whet your appetite, here are the 12 Points of Evidence they present

1. Point 1. Hyperglycemia is the most salient feature of diabetes. Dietary carbohydrate restriction has the greatest effect on decreasing blood glucose levels
2. Point 2. During the epidemics of obesity and type 2 diabetes, caloric increases have been due almost entirely to increased carbohydrate
3. Point 3. Benefits of dietary carbohydrate restriction do not require weight loss
4. Point 4. Although weight loss is not required for benefit, no dietary intervention is better than carbohydrate restriction for weight loss
5. Point 5. Adherence to low-carbohydrate diets in people with type 2 diabetes is at least as good as adherence to any other dietary interventions and is frequently significantly better
6. Point 6. Replacement of carbohydrate with protein is generally beneficial
7. Point 7. Dietary total and saturated fat do not correlate with risk of CVD
8. Point 8. Plasma saturated fatty acids are controlled by dietary carbohydrate more than by dietary lipids
9. Point 9. The best predictor of microvascular and, to a lesser extent, macro-vascular complications in patients with type 2 diabetes, is glycemic control (HbA1c)
10. Point 10. Dietary carbohydrate restriction is the most effective method (other than starvation) of reducing serum triglycerides and increasing high-density lipoprotein (HDL)
11. Point 11. Patients with type 2 diabetes on carbohydrate-restricted diets reduce and frequently eliminate medication. People with type 1 usually require lower insulin
12. Point 12. Intensive glucose lowering by dietary carbohydrate restriction has no side effects comparable to the effects of intensive pharmacologic treatment

 

[Pipp]

Thank you
Just had a quick scan of it. Will pay it more attention later.
It seems to me to support both, carb restriction and VLCD as preferable to current recommendations.

 

[jim1951]

thanks for the interesting information.

jim

 

[Jill the tt]

thanks for posting