Magisham
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 152
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Tablets (oral)
By Miriam Stoppard
W hen I read that a low-carb diet was being hailed as a revolutionary approach to treat Type 2 diabetes, I got a surprise. Every medical student knows the first piece of advice you give a patient with diabetes is restriction of carbohydrates.
Why? Because carbs put a strain on the insulin system that’s designed to keep blood sugar levels in the normal range. And yet official government guidelines don’t recommend low carbs for diabetics.
But the biggest pilot study of a low-carbohydrate diet to treat Type 2 diabetes has just shown it can successfully control the condition.
A review of more than 80,000 diabetics who ditched the low-fat, high carb diet, currently recommended by Public Health England found that their blood-glucose levels dropped after 10 weeks.
The study came about as a consequence of an online revolt by patients in which 120,000 people signed up to the ‘low-carb’ diet plan launched by the forum diabetes.co.uk in a backlash against official advice.
By rejecting guidelines and eating a diet low in starchy foods but high in protein and ‘good’ saturated fats, such as olive oil and nuts, more than 80% of the patients said that they had lost weight, with 10% shedding 9kg (20lb) or more.
More than 70% of participants had improvements to blood sugar levels, and a fifth said at the end of the 10-week plan that they no longer needed drugs to regulate them.
About 2.7 million people in Britain have Type 2 diabetes, a condition that goes hand in hand with obesity.
A further 750,000 people are thought to have undiagnosed symptoms, costing more than £8.8billion directly and indirectly each year. “The results from the low-carb plan have been impressive and this is a solution that is clearly working for people with Type 2 diabetes,” said Arjun Panesar, chief executive officer of diabetes.co.uk.
“Many diabetics know not to put sugar in their tea but very few are aware that the toast they have at breakfast or rice at dinner may be wreaking havoc with their blood glucose. This is because when starchy carbohydrates like potato or pasta are broken down in the body by digestion, the starch turns to sugar.”
Some experts believe that excessive weight drives the development of diabetes and raises blood sugar levels out of control, and that losing weight brings levels down.
So, replace carbohydrates with green vegetables and pulses. Eat at least five portions a day and have a small portion of protein with most meals. Eat dairy in moderation. Olive oil, nuts and other healthy saturated fats are welcome. You’ll lose weight anyway.
W hen I read that a low-carb diet was being hailed as a revolutionary approach to treat Type 2 diabetes, I got a surprise. Every medical student knows the first piece of advice you give a patient with diabetes is restriction of carbohydrates.
Why? Because carbs put a strain on the insulin system that’s designed to keep blood sugar levels in the normal range. And yet official government guidelines don’t recommend low carbs for diabetics.
But the biggest pilot study of a low-carbohydrate diet to treat Type 2 diabetes has just shown it can successfully control the condition.
A review of more than 80,000 diabetics who ditched the low-fat, high carb diet, currently recommended by Public Health England found that their blood-glucose levels dropped after 10 weeks.
The study came about as a consequence of an online revolt by patients in which 120,000 people signed up to the ‘low-carb’ diet plan launched by the forum diabetes.co.uk in a backlash against official advice.
By rejecting guidelines and eating a diet low in starchy foods but high in protein and ‘good’ saturated fats, such as olive oil and nuts, more than 80% of the patients said that they had lost weight, with 10% shedding 9kg (20lb) or more.
More than 70% of participants had improvements to blood sugar levels, and a fifth said at the end of the 10-week plan that they no longer needed drugs to regulate them.
About 2.7 million people in Britain have Type 2 diabetes, a condition that goes hand in hand with obesity.
A further 750,000 people are thought to have undiagnosed symptoms, costing more than £8.8billion directly and indirectly each year. “The results from the low-carb plan have been impressive and this is a solution that is clearly working for people with Type 2 diabetes,” said Arjun Panesar, chief executive officer of diabetes.co.uk.
“Many diabetics know not to put sugar in their tea but very few are aware that the toast they have at breakfast or rice at dinner may be wreaking havoc with their blood glucose. This is because when starchy carbohydrates like potato or pasta are broken down in the body by digestion, the starch turns to sugar.”
Some experts believe that excessive weight drives the development of diabetes and raises blood sugar levels out of control, and that losing weight brings levels down.
So, replace carbohydrates with green vegetables and pulses. Eat at least five portions a day and have a small portion of protein with most meals. Eat dairy in moderation. Olive oil, nuts and other healthy saturated fats are welcome. You’ll lose weight anyway.
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