Reducing Carbs Helps Regulate Blood Sugar in Diabetes

Increasing intake of protein and fat while lowering intake of carbohydrates may help patients with type 2 diabetes to better regulate blood sugar levels, according to the results of a recent study.

Although the optimal dietary recommendations for patients with diabetes are somewhat unclear, it is often recommended that they lower intake of carbohydrates, according to the researchers.

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To explore this further, they conducted a study comparing the effects of a carbohydrate-reduced high-protein (CRHP) diet with an iso-energetic conventional diabetes (CD) on glycemic control and cardiovascular risk markers during a 6-week period.

Individuals included in the study had type 2 diabetes, HbA1c 48–97 mmol/mol (6.5–11%), hemoglobin >6/>7 mmol/l (women/men) and eGFR >30 ml min−1 (1.73 m)−2.

The participants were randomly assigned to either the CRHP or CD diets for 6 weeks, then switched to the other diet for an additional 6 weeks. They underwent meal tests and glycemic variables, lipid profiles, 25-hour blood pressure, and ectopic fat were measured at baseline and at the end of each diet period.

When compared with the CD diet, the CRHP diet was associated with greater reductions in HbA1c (mean ± standard error of mean: −6.2 ± 0.8 mmol/mol vs −0.75 ± 1.0 mmol/mol). The CRHP diet was also associated with greater reductions in fasting plasma glucose, postprandial plasma glucose area under the curve, hepatic fat content, and pancreatic fat content, compared with the CD diet.

“A moderate macronutrient shift by substituting carbohydrates with protein and fat for 6 weeks reduced HbA1c and hepatic fat content in weight stable individuals with type 2 diabetes.”

—Michael Potts

Reference:

Skytte MJ, Samkani A, Petersen AD, et al. A carbohydrate-reduced high-protein diet improves HbA1c and liver fat content in weight stable participants with type 2 diabetes: a randomised controlled trial [published online July 23, 2019]. Diabetologia. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00125-019-4956-4.