New study: Even a liberal 130 g/day low-carb diet beats calorie restriction for type 2 diabetes

July 27 2016 by in Calorie counting, Diabetes, New study

Even a very “liberal” low-carb diet with 130 grams of carbs per day still beats a calorie restricted diet for controlling blood glucose in type 2 diabetes. This according to a new study.

Clinical Nutrition Journal: A Randomized Controlled Trial of 130 G/Day Low-Carbohydrate Diet in Type 2 Diabetes with Poor Glycemic Control

The low-carb diet in the study, where the carb count didn’t even get close to a strict low-carb regimen, still lowered both HbA1c and BMI significantly more than calorie restriction did.

So what’s the lesson? Stop giving bad advice. Stop obsessing over calories. That is simply not helpful.

People with type 2 diabetes do better by instead avoiding foods that raise blood sugars, i.e. carbs. Period.

More

How to Reverse Your Diabetes Type 2

Managing Blood Sugar in Type 1 Diabetes by Eating Low Carb

Professor Noakes: How Incorrect Dietary Management Cause Diabetes to Be a Progressive Disease

Videos about diabetes

  • My low-carb story with Marc Gossange
  • My success story with Kenneth Russell
  • MEMBERS ONLY
    Part 8 of Dr. Jason Fung's diabetes course
  • A low-carb story with Dr. Sanjeev Balakrishnan

7 comments

  1. 1
    Cindy C
    July 28 2016
    I did not have blood tests done when I was strict low carb. When I ate more liberal carbs-about 100 g a day, my HA!C was still only 5.3 and my trigs were at 70. This article today mentions the higher carbs, the more fat in the blood. Seems many of us have been saying such for years now.

    http://medicalxpress.com/news/2016-07-link-carbohydrate-consumption-a...

  2. 2
    gbl
    July 28 2016
    What were the calorie counts for the LCD and the CRD arms of the study. Surely, the study authors knew. I don't see how you can say anything until we know both those numbers.

    Please give us the numbers. The point is not whether or not the individuals were *counting* calories, but how many were consumed.

  3. 3
    Cindy C
    July 28 2016
    Here is the study. If you have questions after reading it, ask the authors of the study.

    http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/oby.21557/full

  4. 4
    gbl
    July 28 2016
    Curious to know: Are you diabetic? Why were you on low carb? The numbers you've posted are well normal are they not?

    Thanks for the study.

  5. 1 comment removed
  6. 6
    gbl
    July 28 2016
    The improvement of LCD over CRD in this study was BARELY MEASURABLE. You would do yourself a service if you didn't constantly exaggerate and blow "favourable" results out of proportion, otherwise, you sound like just another of these internet cult doctors.

    0.3 diffence.

  7. 7
    Cindy C
    July 28 2016
    I wish I had found low carb many years ago. I was never trying to lose weight, so I had only heard about low carb and weight loss. I thought I had diabetes 35 years ago, but a glucose tolerance test showed my blood sugar not going up too high, but dropping down from fasting 80 to 60, with headaches, shaking and weakness, and trace of sugar in urine. I tried to maintain a healthy diet, low sugar, low fat, and very lean meats., with fruits and vegetables. However, companies kept adding sugar to everything. Also eating every 2 hours did not help- I was hungry all the time, weak, still felt like I had to empty my bladder all the time, and hurt all the time. 12 years ago, tried gluten free. That helped some. So, very low carb. moderate protein(fatty meat and eggs), high fat-butter, coconut oil, nuts along with a lot of low carb vegetables, my blood sugar was no longer dropping suddenly, no more ravishing hunger, a lot less pain, no more over active bladder. Despite the high calories I was consuming from the fat( I checked Fitday), I lost about 20 lbs, mostly around my waist, and gained muscle. I added some tubers, and berries in small quantities and as long as I had some meat, or eggs and some fat, my blood sugar was still stable, and I did not gain again in my waist. I still have to be kind of careful with fruit, too much and I will start hurting again in my legs.
    I am sure there are some people out there that can burn carbs and sugar well, but I do not think I was ever one of them. Besides that, in my case, sugar and high carbs triggered craving for more, and it was a lot easier for me to fight cravings, the less and less I got.
  8. 8
    gbl
    July 28 2016
    I think many women can relate to this pattern. Good on you that you've found a healthy compromise. I firmly believe no food is forbidden, so I'm with you too on the tubers: They are delicious and can hold sooo much butter (heh heh) but also, they are the primary vegetable source where I live and I also believe in eating local, that no food that has been flown 2000 from Florida or California (as is done here) can be good for me, or the environment -- which ultimately is ME.

    I have normal blood sugar though I am overweight, I can allow some carbs, I think, like rice (white) or brown/red) and a slice once in awhile of heavy European organic, levain raised whole grain bread smeared with liver pate, but I am well aware that cutting carbs is a sensible way to live and should result in weight loss with normal sized portions. And I do believe calories count.

    Thank you for your generous response. My best wishes for your continued good health.

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