This Diet Could Help Type 2 Diabetics Ditch Medication, Study Finds

Adults with type 2 diabetes may significantly improve their beta-cell function and possibly reduce the need for medication by adopting a low-carbohydrate diet.

New research published today (October 22) in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism suggests that adults with type 2 diabetes who follow a low-carbohydrate diet may experience improved beta-cell function, potentially helping them manage their condition more effectively and even reduce or eliminate the need for medication.

The Role of Beta-Cells in Diabetes

Beta-cells are specialized cells in the pancreas that produce and release insulin, the hormone responsible for regulating blood sugar levels.

In the United States, over 38 million people have diabetes, with more than 90% affected by type 2 diabetes. While this form of diabetes typically occurs in adults aged 45 and older, it’s increasingly being diagnosed in children, teens, and young adults.

In people with type 2 diabetes, beta-cells often struggle to respond properly to rising blood sugar levels, which may be partially linked to high carbohydrate intake. This beta-cell dysfunction, along with insulin resistance, drives the development and progression of the disease.

Study Findings on Low-Carbohydrate Diet Benefits

“This study shows people with type 2 diabetes on a low-carbohydrate diet can recover their beta-cells, an outcome that cannot be achieved with medication,” said lead study author Barbara Gower, Ph.D., of the University of Alabama at Birmingham in Birmingham, Ala. “People with mild type 2 diabetes who reduce their carbohydrate intake may be able to discontinue medication and enjoy eating meals and snacks that are higher in protein and meet their energy needs.”

The researchers gathered data from 57 white and black adults with type 2 diabetes, half on a low-carbohydrate diet and the other half on a high-carbohydrate diet and examined their beta-cell function and insulin secretion at baseline and after 12 weeks.

All of the participants’ meals were provided. People on the carbohydrate-restricted diet ate 9% carbohydrates and 65% fat, and participants on the high-carbohydrate diet ate 55% carbohydrates and 20% fat.

Research Outcomes and Racial Variations

The researchers found those on a low-carbohydrate versus a high-carbohydrate diet saw improvements in the acute and maximal beta-cell responses that were 2-fold and 22% greater, respectively. Within each race group, black adults on a low-carbohydrate diet saw 110% greater improvements in the acute beta-cell response and White adults had improvements in the maximal beta-cell response that were 48% greater than their respective counterparts on the high-carbohydrate diet.

Conclusion and Future Research Directions

“Further research is needed to determine if a low-carbohydrate diet can restore beta-cell function and lead to remission in people with type 2 diabetes,” Gower said.

Reference: “Effects of a Carbohydrate-Restricted Diet on β-Cell Response in Adults With Type 2 Diabetes” by Barbara A Gower, Amy M Goss, Marian L Yurchishin, Sarah E Deemer, Bhuvana Sunil and William T Garvey, 22 October 2024, The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
DOI: 10.1210/clinem/dgae670

Other study authors include Amy Goss, Marian Yurchishin, and William Garvey of the University of Alabama at Birmingham; Sarah Deemer of the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas; and Bhuvana Sunil of the University of Washington and Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital in Tacoma, Wash.

This research received financial support from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, the Nutrition Obesity Research Center of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, the Diabetes Research Center, and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

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