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For doctorsVirta Health publishes two-year data on low-carb diet for type 2 diabetes
, medical review by Dr. Bret Scher, MD
in Diabetes, Low carb & high fat, New study, Virta Health 
Can following a low-carb diet reverse type 2 diabetes long term by improving blood sugar control while reducing or eliminating diabetes medication?
The recent publication of Virta Health’s two-year clinical trial data answers that question with a resounding “yes”:
This study is a continuation of Virta’s trial previously published at 10 weeks in 2017 and one year in 2018, which compared a low-carb dietary intervention to usual care in people with type 2 diabetes.
Adults who enrolled in this study were given the choice of following a low-carb intervention or receiving standard diabetes care. The 262 participants who selected the intervention group were provided with a very-low-carb diet (initially 30 grams of total carbs per day, then increased based on individual tolerance), frequent nutrition coaching and education sessions with a registered dietitian, and supervision by a medical care provider. Those who chose to receive usual care (87 people) were provided with standard diabetes management from their doctor and referred to a registered dietitian for nutrition counseling or classes consistent with American Diabetes Association guidelines.
At two years, the low-carb intervention group experienced several impressive changes:
- Retention: 74% of the original participants (194 people) remained in the study
- Diabetes outcomes:
- Nearly half (53%) of participants were considered to have reversed their diabetes, meaning their blood sugar control improved, yet medication was reduced or eliminated
- As a group, average hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) was reduced by 0.9% (similar to results in diabetes drug trials)
- 67% of insulin and oral diabetes medications (other than metformin) were eliminated altogether. For participants who still used insulin or oral drugs after two years, dosages were greatly reduced
- Weight: Average weight loss was 26 pounds (11.9 kg), and three-quarters of the participants lost at least 5% of their body weight, including abdominal fat
- Cardiovascular risk markers: Triglycerides decreased and HDL cholesterol increased, whereas LDL cholesterol increased only slightly, on average
- Liver health: Liver function markers, fatty liver scores, and liver damage scores improved
- No adverse changes in bone health or thyroid or kidney function were seen
By contrast, the group that received usual diabetes care and nutrition recommendations didn’t experience diabetes reversal or improvement. In fact, some of the usual-care participants needed more diabetes medication after two years. Additionally, very few of them lost any weight or experienced other health improvements.
Although this wasn’t a randomized, controlled study — considered the “gold standard” for scientific evidence — it may actually provide more important “real-world” information about how effective and sustainable low-carb diets can be. It clearly demonstrates that for people who want to follow a carb-restricted approach and work as a team with supportive and knowledgeable professionals, long-term diabetes reversal and overall health improvement is entirely possible.
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It may not be an RCT, but it's still a CT, and thus should still rank higher than much of the epidemiological evidence currently being used by those people, to dictate nutrition policy.
"Comment: All authors are employed by or consult for a company that uses low-carb dietary approaches in its for-profit business. As I explain in Unsavory Truth, the influence of industry funding is often unconscious, unintentional, and unrecognized. Nevertheless, the opinions of the authors can be predicted from their financial connections to Virta Health."
I'm not saying that I agree with her conclusion, but it does have some good points.
I do think in this study, it's hard to separate the value of the "continuous care intervention" from the low carb diet. I've seen a lot of criticism of Virta because the intensity of the intervention is difficult and expensive to replicate. I hope the involvement with the VA can address that question. I would like to see a study that gives the "usual care group" the same level of "continuous care intervention" as the low carb group.
I have never heard of a sugar and grain deficiency. In fact both are nutritionally devoid.... that's why grain products are typically fortified.
11 years eating low carb, on insulin still, but a1c always close to 5.0.
For the rest of the world to be willing to recognize the efficacy of this way of eating on diabetes intervention, the studies have to meet the same scientific criteria we accuse the other studies of not meeting. I think this study left the door open to criticism that there was no control for the intensity of intervention. Therefore it can be argued that the intensity of intervention was the reason for greater benefit in the "continuous care intervention" group, not the diet itself.
Personally I don't believe that, but it leaves the door open for others to disregard this study because of that issue--and I have seen that criticism of the first year intervention study specifically mentioned in some other reviews of the literature.
Doctors and nurses need to just stop believing in pharma and get back to real health and nutrition.
Although her field of study is nutrition, she constantly ignores the science about lowcarb and ketogenic diets.
I think her opinion is to be taken with a grain of salt.
I am so happy that mainstream is finally keeping up with how much what we eat effects our bodies.
Lean and mean!
LCHF, Keto is having a transformative effect on my health since January. After having two stents put in last August I was researching the effects of statin drugs and stumbled upon the raging controversy over the low carb diet. Since January I've lost 30 lbs and all of my blood work and markers have improved except oh my total cholesterol is a teeny bit high. The toll in human suffering caused by Ancel Keys and his fraudulent science and those who have perpetuated it to this day is beyond reckoning. Hopefully the tide is turning and this Insanity with it.
Big Pharma publishers the successful results of a study , that they paid for, about compound XKE 1963. Now after FDA approval they are selling it to make a profit. But we really can't believe
the data because the study was paid for by the drug company.
But Virta publishes the successful results of a study, that they paid for, about their program that they have developed and are now selling for a profit despite no regulatory oversight by anybody. But we have to accept their data because why?
The best I can determine from being involved with sites like this is that they ain't Big Pharma. They have the same goal as Big Pharma , that is, to help people get better while making some money. But since they are not Big Pharma we can believe them and the results of their studies that they have funded.
And the worst part is that anybody raising question about their data are treated as some sort of heretic which makes me beginning to think that sites like this are becoming more of a cult then a rational discussion of the science.
But again as the old saying goes no one is ever lost money under estimating the scientific literacy of Americans
So as a preface to the questions I have which I hope someone here will be able to answer, here is my backstory.
70 year old former neurologist who struggled with weight all of his life with a family history of obesity, diabetes and coronary artery disease. Years on pritikin . Up and down and almost ready to quit when heard Gary taubes on the Canadian show quirks & quarks in 2007 I've been low carb since and actually ketogenic since January 2018. So I'm not the sort of some crazy infiltrator here . Actually I was responsible for a Vet vetpto get enrolled in the Verta VA connection they have.
So my questions. And please before responding to this actually go read the whole article and not just the abstract so you don't embarrass yourself.
1- how applicable is this program to the general population? I assume this was a well motivated group that got involved in the first place and yet there was a 1 out 4 dropout rate. Yet in the article there are only a couple of lines then explain this. The best one is family emergencies. I'm sorry but what family emergency makes one eat carbs? Did the local pizza guy come up with a gun and hold it to the patient's head?
2 - why is the Virta approach better than a GP just telling his patient to get a keto Mojo? Now I know patients that are starting this program are on diabetic medicines and when dropping carbs need to adjust their meds but as they say this ain't rocket science. Hey, I'm a neurologist and even I can figure this out. 😃
3 - why are they letting people continue metformin even if labs are normal?
4 - the biggest question is why is a ketogenic diet better than just a low-carb diet? My mom did well for many years is it type 2 the old low carb diet for diabetics. She never had difficulties until the late seventies when her doctors switched over to a low-fat diet and started to you for more meds as your blood sugars increased.
But like big Pharma I don't think we'll ever know. Because if we could show that just cutting carbs they are all the difference then a company like virta wouldn't need to exist.
Unfortunately coming to this site I feel like I'm King made that drink the Kool-Aid
I would be interested from hearing from any of the doc gurus that are here to comment.
But not to be cynical who wants to risk with 9 bucks a month. How about you Bret?
joe doro
doing research in the WFPD movement. The researchers tend to be affiliated with the same groups, such as the Physician Committee for Responsible Medicine, Forks over Knives, Mastering Diabetes, McDougall, etc and a vested interest in the outcomes. What’s compelling about the Virta trial is the data are dependent on biomarkers and the outcomes are greater than any research I’ve read regarding WFPB effects on diabetes. Ultimately, both keto and WFPB work, and I don’t think it is an us vs them thing (which both sides make it out to be. It’s great to have multiple options that can improve health outcomes.