Diabetes Diet: Reducing Carbs, Increasing Protein And Fat Intake Beneficial For Type-2 Diabetics

Diabetes is a condition that leads to excessive blood sugar in the body, which in turn can lead to several other health complications. This either happens because the body's ability to process blood sugar is impaired or the pancreas produces little or no insulin. The insulin is the key hormone that regulates levels of blood sugar. People suffering from diabetes must be very careful about their diet and must consume foods that help them keep their blood sugar levels in check. A new study has said that consuming a diet that is low in carbohydrates and rich in protein and fats, might prove to be beneficial for people suffering from Type 2 diabetes.

The study published in the journal 'Diabetologia' talked about how health practitioners should focus on prescribing a suitable diet to diabetes patients. A low carb and high-protein and high-fat diet may also fight fat accumulation in the liver and improve fat metabolism. For the study, researchers enrolled 28 participants suffering from Type-2 diabetes and observed them over a period of 12 weeks. For the first six weeks, they were asked to follow the conventional diet rich in carbohydrates. For the other six weeks, they were asked to follow a low-carb diet that is also rich in protein and fats.

The researchers found that a diet low in carbs, rich in proteins and with moderately improved fat intake was able to help diabetics attain glycaemic control and also brought down blood sugar levels after meals and long-term blood sugar. "The purpose of our study was to investigate the effects of the diet without 'interference' from a weight loss. Patients were asked to maintain their weight," said Senior Consultant, DMSc Thure Krarup, MD, from the Department of Endocrinology at Bispebjerg Hospital. "Study confirms the assumption that a diet with reduced carbohydrate content can improve patients' ability to regulate their blood sugar levels without the patients concurrently losing weight. The study shows that by reducing the share of carbohydrates in the diet and increasing the share of protein and fat, you can both treat high blood sugar and reduce liver fat content," Krarup added.