Those living with type 2 diabetes may find relief from daily insulin injections through a low-carbohydrate diet, according to a new study.
Just six months on a strict, low-carbohydrate diet – meaning less than 26% of your daily calories come from carbohydrates – could lower blood sugar to a point where medication is no longer needed, according to findings based on data over 1,357 participants with the metabolic disease.
In addition, the diet led to weight loss and fewer diabetic episodes, compared to people on other recommended diets, such as low-fat.
However, with the 12-month interval, researchers found a decrease in the benefits of the low-carbohydrate diet. They point out that previous research included in the analysis, published Wednesday in the BMJ, may have had its limitations, and suggest that more research is needed on how low-carb diets can be used to relieve some diabetic symptoms.
For example, doctors may prescribe a low-carbohydrate diet for the short term “for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, while actively monitoring and adjusting diabetes medications as needed.”
The low-carb diet, made famous by weight-loss guru Robert Atkins, later became controversial when former supporters of the starchless regimen complained about their pounds returning with a rage once carbohydrates were reintroduced. Studies eventually linked the fad diet with other health problems, such as cardiac arrhythmias and premature death.
Still, the regime remains popular to this day, with benefits that scientists still don’t fully understand. A 2019 study suggested that the diet may fortify the lungs against influenza by stimulating the production of a protective mucus in the lining of the organs – a “totally unexpected finding,” said one researcher at the time.