People with type 2 diabetes who follow a low-carb diet may stop taking their medications, a new study suggests.
US researchers have found that a low-carbohydrate diet can improve beta cell function in patients treated for the disease, which affects about 34 million Americans and one in 15 people worldwide.
Type 2 diabetes most often develops in people aged 45 or older, but more and more children, adolescents, and young adults are also developing the disease.
Researchers explained that beta cells are endocrine cells in the pancreas that produce and release insulin, the hormone that controls blood sugar levels.
People with the disease have a compromised beta cell response to blood sugar, perhaps in part due to excessive carbohydrate consumption. “Empty carbs” contain a lot of sugar and white flour, which have a high glycemic index, meaning they cause a rapid rise in blood sugar and insulin levels after eating.
They include refined grains lacking bran, fiber and nutrients, such as white bread or bagels, pizza dough, chips, pasta, pastries, white rice, sweet desserts and many breakfast cereals. -lunch.
THE ANTI-ALZHEIMER DIET: Mediterranean diets linked to fewer Alzheimer’s plaques and tangles
“This study shows that people with type 2 diabetes following a low-carb diet can recover their beta cells, a result that cannot be achieved with medication,” said the study’s lead author, Professor Barbara Gower, University of Alabama.
“People with mild type 2 diabetes who reduce their carbohydrate intake may be able to stop their medications and enjoy eating meals and snacks that are higher in protein and meet their energy needs.”
For the study published online by The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, the research team gathered data from 57 adults with type 2 diabetes, half following a low-carb diet and the other half following a high-carbohydrate diet, and examined their beta-cell function and insulin secretion at baseline and after 12 weeks. All participant meals were provided.
People on a low-carb diet consumed 9% carbs and 65% fat, while those on a high-carb diet consumed 55% carbs and 20% fat.
The team found that people on a low-carb diet, compared to a high-carb diet, saw improvements in acute and peak beta cell responses that were two times and 22% greater, respectively.
DIABETES BREAKTHROUGH: A man who suffered from type 2 diabetes for 25 years is cured thanks to stem cells
Black participants on a low-carb diet saw 110% greater improvements in acute beta cell response, while white adults showed 48% greater improvements in peak beta cell response than their respective counterparts. following a high-carbohydrate diet.
Professor Gower says further research is needed to confirm that a low-carb diet can restore beta cell function and lead to remission in people with type 2 diabetes.
SHARE THE EASY RECIPE FOR WELL-BEING with diabetic patients on social networks…