Adopting a low-carb diet can help lower blood sugar levels for people with pre-diabetes and also help them lose weight.
- A study found that a low-carb diet helps lower blood sugar levels.
- Too high blood sugar leads to pre-diabetes which puts you at risk of diabetes.
- Carbohydrates are found in fruits, sweets, bread, starchy foods, etc.
A balanced diet is good for health: this message is widely disseminated. But healthy eating habits are also a great way to prevent certain diseases. “Unlike type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes (T2D) does not occur suddenly. It is preceded by a more or less long phase of glycemic disturbance, silent and reversible by appropriate health and diet measures.explains Federation of Diabetics. L’Harvard University shared promising results from a study on the effects of a low-carb diet on diabetes.
Pre-diabetes: how to set a low-carb diet
Published in JAMA Network, the medical trial involved 150 people with untreated prediabetes or low-grade diabetes, all of whom were overweight. For six months, half of the participants followed a low-carb diet, while the other half maintained their eating habits. For the first three months, participants following the low-carb diet were asked to keep carbohydrate levels below 40 grams per day, the equivalent of one apple. Then, from the fourth to the sixth month, the threshold increased to 60 grams per day. Instead of carbohydrates, participants were encouraged to eat protein and healthy fats, such as vegetables, fish, poultry, eggs, olive oil, nuts, and some cheese. “They were advised to limit or avoid other dairy products, fruits, legumes, beans and grains.”explains the Harvard article.
Low-carbohydrate diet: what effects on pre-diabetes?
Blood tests were taken between three and six months after the start of the trial. “This study clearly shows that a low-carb diet, really very low-carb, is effective in reducing A1C levels, which is a measure of blood sugar levels over the previous three months.“, says Dr. Giulio Romeo, associate medical director of the adult diabetes section at Harvard’s Joslin Diabetes Center. Fasting blood sugar also decreased, and participants lost weight, compared to the group that did not have changed his eating habits The study authors said that these various improvements reduced the risk of developing diabetes by almost 60% over the next three years.
Is it advisable to follow a low-carb diet if you have pre-diabetes?
For now, the results of this study will need to be confirmed by broader, longer-term work. Dr. Giulio Romeo points out that research is unclear how sustainable this diet is. “A 12 or 18 month study would be welcome“, he adds.
Additionally, not all people will be able to reduce the amount of carbohydrates consumed each day as dramatically. “But cutting certain carbs could have benefits for blood sugar and weight control“, believes Dr. Romeo.
We consume carbohydrates every day in different forms and in large quantities: fruits, sweets, bread, starchy foods, etc. A small reduction could have beneficial effects. “Not only can it reduce the risk of diabetes, but it can also help with weight loss“, he concluded.
