Lower carb dieting may improve blood sugar control in people with Type 2 diabetes, but weight control may not improve, say researchers from North Carolina.
In this analysis of pooled data from 13 studies, type 2 diabetics were looked at to judge the impact of restricted carbohydrate dieting on health outcomes related to diabetes. The carbohydrate content of the assessed diets ranged from 4 to 45 percent of total calories. (Health Canada recommends the 45 to 65 percent of total calories come from carbohydrates.)
Slight decreases in carbohydrates were shown to improve management of type 2 diabetes. People who changed from eating 65 percent to 35 percent of total calories as carbohydrates saw a 23 percent drop in triglycerides (blood fat).
The restricted carbohydrate intake didn't result in any significant changes in body weight in people with type 2 diabetes.
The recommended daily allowance for carbohydrates is 130 grams per day for adults based on the minimum amount of glucose (broken down carbohydrate) needed to feed the brain each day. This amount equals 43 percent of calories in a 1,200-calorie diet; 30 percent of calories in a 1,700-calorie diet; and 24 percent of calories in a 2,200-calorie diet. One slice of whole wheat bread provides about 16 grams of carbohydrate.
There's currently insufficient evidence to recommend low or very low carbohydrate diets - less than 130 grams per day - in patients with diabetes.
According to Health Canada, over two and a quarter million Canadians are estimated to have type 2 diabetes, and about one-third of adults with type 2 diabetes are unaware that they have the condition.
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