If you want what you eat (and what you don’t eat) to help you prevent diabetes, then chances are you’ve heard that you should be on a low-carb diet. However, a new study has found that not all low-carb diets have the same effect in reducing the risk of this disease.
The study research, which was presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions conference, according to merck manualsinvolved trying to find a connection between low-carb diets and type 2 diabetes risk. And what they found was that the overall quality of carbs, fat, and protein may be more important than the quantity itself.
What the study found on low-carb diets and diabetes
The study used information collected from 203,541 adults who initially did not have diabetes and who participated in the Nurses’ Health Study, Nurses’ Health Study II, or Health Professionals Follow-up Study conducted between 1984 and 2017. Studies followed participants for up to 30 years and required them to complete questionnaires about their eating habits every four years.
When those behind the study tried to determine the amount of carbohydrate consumption, they did so considering the daily percentage of total energy that came from carbohydrates, as well as proteins and fats. Despite US Dietary Guidelines To say that a person’s diet should consist of 45% to 65% of energy intake from carbohydrates, there were some study participants whose diets only comprised about 40% carbohydrates.
Beyond that, people who ate low-carb diets that included animal protein in addition to fat had a 35 percent increased risk of type 2 diabetes. That percentage rose to 39% when they also didn’t eat enough whole grains. On the other hand, participants who ate a low-carb diet that included protein and fat from plant-based foods had a 6% lower risk of type 2 diabetes. They also had a 15% lower risk when they ate fewer refined carbohydrates and fewer sugar.
What the experts say about these findings
“To prevent the risk of type 2 diabetes in generally healthy people without prediabetes or diabetes, the quantity of carbohydrates may not matter as much as the quality of carbohydrates. proteinfats and carbohydrates,” said the study’s lead author, Yeli Wang, a researcher in the department of nutrition at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, in Boston.
“I agree that not all low-carb diets have the same impact on our health.” Justine Chan, MHSc, RD, CDEsays a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator Eat this, not that! “This is because the quality of the food you eat is also important.”
When it comes to why an animal-based low-carb diet might increase the diabetes riskChan explains that “saturated fats can increase insulin resistance, which plays a key role in the development of type 2 diabetes.”
As for a plant-based low-carb diet, Chan says, “I suspect that the fiber and resistant starch found in plant foods provide anti-inflammatory benefits, helping to reduce the risk of diabetes. Fiber also slows down the release of glucose into the bloodstream, which lowers blood sugar.”
Desiree O
Desirée O is a freelance writer covering lifestyle, food and nutrition news, among other topics. Read more about Desiree
