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GP uses low carb diet with 13 patients -amazed!

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Southport GP

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Verified HCP
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194
Location
Merseyside
Type of diabetes
HCP
Treatment type
I do not have diabetes
8 WEEK STUDY IN GENERAL PRACTICE, SOUTHPORT- EFFECTS OF A LOW CARB MODERATE FAT DIET OVER 7 WEEKS
13 patients, 7 pre diabetics and 6 type two diabetics were asked if they were interested in trying a low carb moderate fat diet they agreed to have their HbA1c monitored along with liver function, lipids (HDL and LDL cholesterol), weight and blood pressure.
HbA1c on average lasts as long as the red blood cell it occupies -120 days so improvements in care can easily take 12-14 weeks to show in the HbA1c result. Our results are all the more surprising as the improvements stated were measured after only 7 weeks.
RESULTS: One patient didn’t like the diet and dropped out after a few weeks. Of the remaining 12 all had significant weight loss averaging 6.2Kg after 8 weeks and an amazing drop in HbA1c averaging 9.8mmol/mol in 7 weeks
This resulted in all the prediabetics having a normal Hb A1c.
Of the 6 diabetics:3 ended up with normal HbA1c< 42. Two ended up with pre diabetic HbA1c<48. One ended up with a much improved HbA1c result from 83 to 57.
All had either improved cholesterol or they remained the same, despite the higher fat diet.
7 of the 12 had abnormal liver function tests at the outset and all saw a significant improvement.
5 of the 12 were able to come off regular medication of one form or another.
I'M SO PROUD OF WHAT MY PATIENTS HAVE ACHIEVED!!!
 
I am not sure that this will come as a surprise to many of the members of this forum. Many of them, including myself, have done exactly the same
 
That's great news for your patients.

Now we need more studies to convince the rest of the NHS (or the people that are against low carbing) that this is a safe diet for diabetics (type 1 and type 2) and can really make a difference to our quality of life and hopefully prevent complications.
 
I put it up to show at least there is one doctor who believes in this approach -and you know what it was great fun!!-wonderful to see patients taking control for themselves. I have started doing this research to try and convince more doctors to give it a try -IT WORKS and FAST!
 
Please continue to do it and let other GPs and consultants know what you've found.
 
Fantastic news, lots of us low carb here and its nice to see a health professional advocate it, we are usually told we are doing the wrong thing. Keep it up

Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
Hi the results look good, have you continued to offer your patients frequent follow up and have they maintained their improvement? I would be interested to know what diet information you gave your patients, did you provide an information pack you would be willing to share?
I was diagnosed as Type 2 at the start of 2013 and so I would be interested in being able to follow structured low carb/moderate fat diet without having to work out what are the best foods.
I look forward to hearing more.




Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
i based the diet on the advice to be found in Dr John Briffa's excellent book -'Beat the diet trap' towards the end of the book there are tables of what to eat freely ,moderately and hardly at all.
 
Brilliant results doctor! You have shown the way for your colleagues. If even a short term low carb/increased fat test has measurable benefits, it should not be difficult for others health professionals to try - and be convinced.

Beware! The great DUK will immediately warn you of the potential long term dangers of low carb. Their own sponsored ersearch has NEVER found any long term dangers - presumably they think it would be unethical even to try a diet they consider to be potentially harmful.

WI was diagnosed in 2000 (age 61), when Steve Redgrave was winning Olympic golds, my Dr informed of ALL the consequences of diabetes, and helpfully computed the PROBABILITY of a heart attack at 25%. She also told me that T2 was progressive, & even if I followed the NHS/DUK diet the disease would progress to ever-increasing problems, medication debility. "Don't think you have failed - it's the progressive nature of the disease.

By 2008 I had a range of compications: chronic tiredness; reduced kidney function; 1st stage retinopathy; and the debilitating peripheral neuropathy. I found this forum and at first argued with low carb enthusiasts, then I started low carb. The improvements were immediate, and within 3 months I was able to play tennis again. 5 years of low carb and I have NO health problems. Even the retinopathy, observed 10 years ago, is completely clear. At 74 I play tennis & table tennis at club standard.

I've chatted with DUK folk, and all they say is, "If it works for you, carry on. BUT we are all individuals so it won't work for everyone." All individuals???? Why then do they tell EVERYONE to eat a 50% carb low fat diet??????

Keep up the good work. And stay on the forum - we need all the expertise you can give us.
 
Yes I have found some resitance from proffesionals concerned about long term possible harm, which in some ways i can understand - yet when pressed they cannot tel me what form that harm may take when BP, weight, cholesterol & liver function and HB A1c are all better on the diet and my patients feel so well? Again what we need is some longer term research.
Another point is that fats do at least contain the fat soluble vitamins A,D,E & K i'm not so sure what carbs give us that cannot be got elsewhere though?
 
SouthportGP

Do you have a link to the published report of this study? As it would make great evidence to present to others (even within the NHS) who are reluctant to believe that it works. Most of the time we only have anecdotes (although lots of them) which don't 'cut the mustard' as eveidence.
Ta
 
I wish my GP and his practice nurse would join in with this 'experiment' because both think I am slightly eccentric with my moderate low-carbing despite my good end results.
 

Excuse me for asking but why are you talking about pre diabetic to reducing their HbA1c in mmol/L? but diabetics in IFCC?

Also how is it possible for a pre diabetic to have such a large drop in HbA1c, surely a bg level of 9.8 would make them diabetic and not pre diabetic and yet you claim a drop of this amount for a pre diabetic how is this possible?

Its also very strange that such a high drop in HbA1c's would be recorded after only 7 or 8 weeks as red blood cells live longer than that so I dont understand how such a high drop could be recorded, how is this possible?

Forgive me if am wrong but I smell a low carb troll here, perhaps you could allow the mods to verify who you really are by allowing them to contact your practice for confirmation as you do not sound genuine to me.
 
My thoughts exactly on reading this !!

Sent from my GT-S5360 using DCUK Forum mobile app
 

Very selective figures ... only one has a starting and ending measurement. What I have gleaned is

Total reduction = 12 x 9.8 mmol/L = 117.6 mmol/L
Less the one person (83-57) = 117.6 - 4.6 mmol/L = 113 mmol/L divided by 11 = 10.2 mmol/L average.

If I've got my sums right, then the one person did worse than the rest but apparently was the only one much improved!
 
Sid Bonkers said:
Forgive me if am wrong but I smell a low carb troll here, perhaps you could allow the mods to verify who you really are by allowing them to contact your practice for confirmation as you do not sound genuine to me.
Click to expand...

Exactly. Hence my polite request for published results.
I frankly don't believe that SouthportGP is a GP at all. I would expect a much more intelligent and reserved post from such a member of the medical profession.
 

Southport GP, I have noted that you joined last evening followed quickly with a an amazing story. How about introducing yourself to everyone in the Introductions topic. Only a cynic like me would even contemplate the thought that you are looking for customers for a pyramid selling diet 'business' but, for the sake of the other non-cynical people, tell us more.
 

Excellent... and the name of the doctor?
 
Firstly sorry for the typo- Southport uses the IFCC Standardised units which are mmol/mol. I'm amused to be thought a troll but I am a genuine GP- Last year one of my diabetics lost a great deal of weight and I was amazed when her HbA1c dropped to 35 mmol/mol and she was able to come off all her medication This awakened my interest and then my wife bought John Briffa's wonderful book which I found to be well researched -every chapter properly referenced. I started by asking a few patients if they wanted to try and the results were so amazing I wanted more folk to know about this as a treatment option BUT all the proffesionals in the field keep telling me there is no long term evidence!! 'So be careful !'
-so now I am trying to collect that evidence. I have no objection to a moderator knowing where I work as long as they keep the location and my identity to themselves I already have more patients than I can really cope with . Someone else wondered if this was the start of pyramid selling ! -No that's another reason I want to stay anonymous Someone else said I wasn't professional enough to be GP What can I say ? Shouldn't we stick to the benefits of this approach and the fact you have at least one GP showing real interest ?
At the end of the day the results are amazing but more long term evidence is needed - I am in the process of applying for a grant from the local commissioners to do just that as so far I have funded this work from my own pocket
 

It's unfortunate that you have not, as you say, been able to persuade your partners about this approach. Presumably they read the book differently and weren't impressed by the results that you observed. And of course, a long-term study is crucial to ensure that there are no long-term adverse effects. It would be a huge tragedy if people embarked on an eating regime which, over the long-term, would cause them ill-health. So, I guess your professional message is for people to wait for the results of any current long-term studies? Can you point us to examples of current long-term studies which are in progress or nearing their end? You shouldn't need funding to speak with other professionals or to read scientific papers.
 
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