I am not a doctor, this data is for informational purposes only. For personal medical advice please consult with a qualified and licensed professional. Information for this article comes from reputable sources. Sources are listed throughout the article.
Diet recommendations are scattered and it’s hard to know who and what to believe. Luckily and lately we’ve been presented with comforting data that’s not muddied by special interest. My focus in writing this post is to give pre-diabetics and type 2 diabetics hope. There is a way for many to shift into remission.
Let’s first look at a study published on the 22nd of September, 2020. Study found here
Lower Carbohydrate Diet Study
Insights from a general practice service evaluation supporting a lower carbohydrate diet in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and prediabetes: a secondary analysis of routine clinic data including HbA1c, weight and prescribing over 6 years
Citation
Data derived from the study
- For those choosing a lower carbohydrate dietary approach for an average of 23 months it is possible to achieve a 46% drug-free T2 diabetes remission rate in UK primary care whilst also achieving significant improvements in weight, blood pressure and lipid profiles.
- In patients with prediabetes (HbA1c 42 to 48 mmol/mol), a LCD approach reduced HbA1c to within a non-diabetic threshold in 93% of patients.
- Our audit showed participants who started with the worst blood sugars (HbA1c) saw the greatest improvements in diabetic control.
What exactly is a lower carbohydrate diet?
A LCHF diet is where you consume less carbohydrate and make up for it (energy-wise) with a high amount of dietary fat. Protein is also important.
Keto is another option with further specifics in relation to macro consumption (Carb/Fat/Protein).
- Here’s a post all about Low Carb High Fat Diets.
- Here’s a post about the Keto Diet.
- This list really helps you to know what foods are okay on the Keto Diet.
What about the Government’s Recommendations?
I wore a CGM (continuous glucose monitor) and tested the Government’s recommendations – my entire experience is documented here. Here’s a list of my takeaways from that personal experiement:
- Blood sugar is elevated by overconsumption of carbohydrates.
- Unused blood sugar is converted to fat and stored for energy later.
- Insulin resistance is when cells in your muscles, fat, and liver don’t respond well to insulin and can’t use glucose from your blood for energy. The result is elevated blood sugar.
- Elevated blood sugar results in type 2 diabetes.
- Type 2 diabetes is completely reversible via restricted carbohydrate intake and increased fat and protein consumption.
- The connection to insulin resistance and cardiovascular issues are VERY closely associated.
- The Government’s My Plate Plan recommendations tend to cause elevated blood glucose, which may in turn promote decreased health outcomes.
Here’s a visual of what my blood sugar looked like on the Keto Diet vs. The MyPlate recommendations. One has steady blood sugar the other doesn’t. These images are from 1 day apart and illustrate how damaging the MyPlate recommendation is.
Will low carb cure my diabetes?
A low carb approach to reversing type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes may be the exact tool needed for you. However, our bodies are not a one-size-fits-all machine. Everyone is different. I highly suggest trying Keto to see if it’s an effective tool for you personally. A CGM will greatly help you know what your body is thinking (so will how you feel). Here’s a post on how to get into ketosis. If you’re going to try Keto, I recommend reading it to make the process better for you. I also recommend at least 6-9 weeks of adherence to the diet – anything less and you won’t really know if it’ll work for you.