The impact of low-carb diet on Diabetes

Diabetes causes many health complications. But by following a low-carb diet, these complications can be kept at bay. Read the blog to find how a low-carb diet is effective for diabetes. 

 

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a chronic disease that affects the metabolism as it causes high blood pressure and sugar. Diabetes affects the hormone insulin, which aids in transferring sugar from the blood into the cells and stores it for energy. 

If not diagnosed, diabetes can cause severe damage to the eyes, kidney, nerves and other organs.

There are different types of diabetes:

 

1. Type 1 diabetes:

It’s an autoimmune disease which destroys the cells in the pancreas from where the insulin is made. The cause of this type of diabetes is unknown and 10% of the diabetics suffer from this type. 

2. Type 2 diabetes:

It is caused when the body becomes resistant to insulin and the sugar increases in the body.

3. Prediabetes:

Prediabetes is diagnosed when the blood sugar is higher than usual but not high enough to be categorised into type 2 diabetes. 

4. Gestational diabetes:

This diabetes is caused during pregnancy when the placenta produces insulin-blocking hormones.

 

Symptoms of diabetes:

The common symptoms of diabetes are weight loss, increased hunger, increased thirst, frequent visits to the washroom, extreme fatigue, blurry vision and sores that don’t recover.

The additional symptoms to the general symptoms in men include decreased sex drive, erectile dysfunction and bad muscle strength.

In women, the additional symptoms are yeast infections, urinary tract infection, dry and itchy skin. 

It becomes of utmost importance to maintain the blood sugar levels to reduce the risk of complications. The good option to steer clear from the complications of diabetes is to follow a low-carb diet.

 

Low-carb foods for diabetics

People with diabetes can include healthy and natural sources like vegetables, olives, avocados, lean proteins like eggs, tofu, nuts and fruits in moderation in their diet.

Fruits contain sugar and many people with sugar refrain from eating fruits. 

Keeping the health and low-carb diet in mind, some of the following foods shouldn’t be consumed or eaten in moderation:

1. Foods containing sugar- cakes, juices, cookies, candies, pastries

2. Processed foods- snacks, frozen food

3. Starches- Bread, rice, potato and anything made with potato

4. Alcoholic beverages

 

How do carbohydrates affect diabetes?

Foods with carbohydrates are responsible for raising glucose levels more than any other foods. As people with type 1 diabetes cannot produce enough insulin, suffer from an increase in blood glucose levels. Therefore, a low-carb diet suits both the people with type 1 as well as type 2 diabetes.

Eating foods with high carbs content can deprive the body of important nutrients like proteins and these foods make us feel more hungry and lead to overeating and eventually causes weight gain.

However, switching to a low-carb diet can energise the body, lower blood glucose levels, lower cholesterol, reduces the urge to eat sugar, decreases the risk of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), supports weight loss and lowers the risk of diabetes complications. 

People following a low-carb diet often eat a large amount of proteins which increases the risk of kidney damage if a person already has some kidney disease. Other than causing damage to kidneys this kind of diet accelerates the risk of osteoporosis, bone fractures and clogged arteries.

 

Is low-carb diet effective to manage diabetes?

Before 1921 when insulin wasn’t discovered, diabetics followed a low-carb diet as a treatment for diabetes.

A study was conducted on patients with type 2 diabetes who followed a low-carb diet for 6 months. It was concluded that their diabetes was managed for more than three years if they firmly followed the diet.

The similar study conducted on type 1 diabetes patients, resulted in a notable improvement in blood sugar levels for a period of 4 years.

A study featured two types of low-carb diets: a low-carb diet and a very low-carb diet. A low-carb diet included less than 26% carbohydrate intake and a very low-carb diet had more than 10% carbohydrate intake. After six months, the results showed that people following a low-carb diet attained higher levels of diabetes remission compared to patients following a very low-carb diet. 

On top of that, the subjects noticed improvements in weight loss, triglyceride (a type of fat) levels and insulin. These effects declined after 12 months in the group following a low-carb diet.

The group following a very low-carb diet didn’t see improvement in weight loss. 

 

What’s the ideal intake of carbs for diabetics?

Some studies suggest that limiting the carbohydrate intake to 20 grams per day improves the blood sugar levels and manages weight.

Other research confirms that restricting moderate carb intake and consuming 70-90 grams of carbohydrate or 20% of calories from carbohydrates also proves effective.

However, no one diet suits every individual. Some can consume 6 grams, 10 grams or 25 grams of carbohydrates on a low-meal carb. This depends on individual tolerance. The thumb rule for diabetics is fewer carbs will lead to less blood sugar rise.

Instead of eliminating all the carbs from the diet, an individual should include healthy carbs in their diet by eating vegetables, nuts, berries and seeds, which are packed with nutrients and high fibre. 

All in all, a low-carb diet helps diabetics to avoid complications. It lowers blood pressure, aids weight loss and even improves the severity of the disease. 

It is advised to stick to this diet in order to gain its optimum benefits. People who are recently diagnosed with diabetes are advised to switch to a low-carb diet as a first-line treatment.

Before trying this diet, it is recommended to talk to your doctor or dietitian. The carb needs can vary from person to person due to their activity, weight, health and other factors. Consulting a doctor or dietitian will help diabetics to set their carb targets.