Low carb and Mediterranean diets improve management of type 2 diabetes

A systematic review of 20 randomized controlled trials shows that low carbohydrate and Mediterranean diets both promote significant improvements in weight loss and improved blood glucose levels.
Weight loss and improvements in diabetes control are important factors in improving health outcomes in type 2 diabetes, notably including heart health. The study found that a number of diets, including low carbohydrate, low GI, Mediterranean and high protein diets were beneficial for improving health factors in comparison with control diets.
Out of the diets, the Mediterranean diet recorded the greatest results in terms of glycemic control and weight loss with low carbohydrate diets coming second in terms of weight loss. It is worth noting that levels of improvement were based upon the control diets they were matched against which were not the same across all studies.
The researchers noted that low carbohydrate, low GI, Mediterranean and high protein diets were all effective at reducing the risk profile of cardiovascular disease in people with type 2 diabetes.
The study, ‘Systematic review and meta-analysis of different dietary approaches to the management of type 2 diabetes’ was carried out Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry, Plymouth and appears in the March 2013 issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.