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Low-carb diet helps cut blood sugar levels in people with prediabetes


There are healthy foods and eating habits, but there isn't one universally healthy way to eat for the majority of people. However, a trial reported in JAMA Network Open reveals that for those with prediabetes, a low-carb diet could swiftly return raised A1C values to a healthy range.

However, despite the fact that this study found a number of advantages of a low-carb diet for blood sugar control, Dr. Giulio Romeo, associate medical director of the Adult Diabetes Section at the Harvard-affiliated Joslin Diabetes Center, questions whether the study's exacting methodology is practical in real-world situations. This study clearly demonstrates the effectiveness of a low-carb diet in lowering A1C levels, which are a measurement of blood sugar during the past three months, according to the author. However, it might or might not be long-term viable.



An estimated 96 million adult Americans have prediabetes. This illness increases the chance of developing type 2 diabetes and is characterised by blood sugar levels that are higher than normal.

Was better blood sugar management only attributable to a low-carb diet?

No. It's impossible to determine how much the weight loss of low-carb individuals contributed to better blood sugar control, according to Dr. Romeo. Insulin resistance is decreased with weight loss. "That means your body will react to the action of the insulin you create more effectively," he explains. That is undoubtedly extremely helpful.

 

But two immediate consequences of the low-carb strategy could also be to blame for the drop in blood glucose, according to him. Your hunger is reduced if you make your body rely on energy sources outside carbohydrates. Additionally, your pancreas has to create more insulin when you consume more carbs. Independent of weight reduction, eating fewer carbohydrates eases the strain on the pancreas and lowers insulin resistance.

Can a sensible carbohydrate strategy make a difference?

Not everyone with prediabetes will be willing or able to cut their carbohydrate intake to the extreme levels undertaken by study participants. But cutting even some carbs might lead to blood sugar and weight control benefits, Dr. Romeo says.

 

"The fairly large carbohydrate intake we’ve all become accustomed to — breads, sweets, starchy vegetables — can be dialed down a bit," he says. "Not only can that reduce the risk of diabetes, but it also may help weight loss."



What did the research reveal?

Three and six months into the trial, blood samples from every participant were taken. Participants following the low-carb diet saw higher reductions in their A1C and fasting blood glucose levels at the six-month point compared to those following their regular diet. Additionally, they shed an average of 13 pounds. Despite being small, the A1C improvements indicated a 60% decrease in the risk of acquiring diabetes in the next three years.

 


It's crucial to realise that participants who were white experienced a bigger decrease in A1C than those who were black, according to Dr. Romeo. "The study contributes to our understanding of whether the reaction to a low-carb diet is the same across races by adding a sizable number of Black people. It didn't seem to be in this trial."