Want to get off those diabetes meds? Research shows a diet high in protein and good fats but low in carbs helps manage the disease

People suffering from type-2 diabetes may have themselves a good reason to eat protein, based on research.

The diet, according to researchers at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), is composed of a low volume of carbohydrates paired with higher amounts of protein and unsaturated fats.

Associate Professor Grant Brinkworth, who is the principal research scientist at CSIRO, explains that the diet is different from other existing diets. “Traditional dietary approaches for managing type-2 diabetes could be outdated,” Brinkworth says. “We really need to review the current dietary guidelines if we are serious about using the latest scientific evidence to reduce the impact of the disease.”

Dietary guidelines in regions such as Asia, America, and Australia usually a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet. Food types with a low glycemic index (GI), which ranks a carbohydrate based on the extent they raise blood sugar (glucose) after eating, are usually recommended in managing obesity, being overweight — as well as type-2 diabetes.

Developments in the study, however, purports a deviation from this idea, with it saying that putting more unsaturated fats like olive oil and soybean can be better for you. In addition to this, the low carbohydrate diet is flexible, allowing room for the occasional treats.

The study sampled 118 participants who had been diagnosed with type-2 diabetes. All of the participants were either overweight or obese. During a period, one group consumed a high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet, while another group tried out the low-carbohydrate, high-fat program. Both groups were shown to have massively lost weight, according to the study. Weight loss was noted to be similar for all groups as well. However, they noted that people on the low-carbohydrate diet were shown to have improved their cholesterol levels, with this group having more good (HDL) cholesterol levels over the high-carbohydrate diet.

According to a report on the Daily Mail, the cost of the low-carbohydrate diet is noted to be higher by $3 than the high-carbohydrate diet. However, results of the study have indicated that people who have undergone the diet were able to cease their medications. “If you’re diabetic, you’ll be spending less on medication, and less on addressing the side effects of that medication, so it might even work out cheaper,” Brinkworth adds.

Aside from Brinkworth, the study, which is titled “Long-term effects of a very low carbohydrate weight loss diet and an isocaloric low-fat diet on bone health in obese adults”, is co-authored by Thomas Wycherley and Manny Noakes of CSIRO, as well as Jonathan Buckley and Peter Clifton from the University of South Australia.

Diabetes (or diabetes mellitus) is currently of the most widespread diseases. In the U.S. alone, it affects at least 30.3 million people, and one of the leading causes of death in the country. According to Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, there are three common types of the disease — with type-2 diabetes being one of them.

Type-2 diabetes is the most common form of the disease. This occurs when your body cannot properly produce insulin. People who suffer from this can experience anywhere from hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) to kidney damage, and even slow healing. Extreme cases will result to amputation and severe nerve damage.

You can also check DiabetesScienceNews.com to learn more about protecting yourself from this nasty sickness.

Sources include:

CSIRO.au

DailyMail.co.uk

GlycemicIndex.com

HealthyPeople.gov

CDC.gov