Wish to lower your blood sugar? Try switching to a low-carb diet and increasing your protein intake.

This is what Danish researchers suggest in their study, which shows that eating less carbs and more protein improves blood sugar control in people with Type 2 diabetes.

Cutting back on carbs helps reduce blood sugar

Eating the right foods is key to regulating blood sugar levels in diabetics. Current recommendations espouse a diet that promotes weight loss, particularly one that is low in fats and calories.

This conventional diabetes diet emphasizes foods that rank low in the glycemic index (GI), which is a rating system for carb-containing foods. Low GI foods cause a slower and smaller rise in your blood sugar levels than high GI foods because they are digested and absorbed more slowly.

But as it turns out, you don’t need to eat a low GI diet nor lose weight to lower your blood sugar. According to the researchers, eating fewer carbs and consuming more protein and fat also help improve your blood sugar control.

They arrived at this finding after asking 28 volunteers with Type 2 diabetes to follow both a reduced-carb, high-protein, moderate-fat diet and the conventional diabetes diet. Half of them ate the reduced-carb diet for six weeks and then the latter for another six weeks, while the other half carried out the diets in reverse order. All of them had to maintain their current weight.

After performing a raft of tests at the end of each diet period, the researchers found that the reduced-carb diet decreased the volunteers’ average blood sugar levels over the past two months or so. The diet also lowered their post-meal blood sugar and reduced their liver fat.

“Our study confirms the assumption that a diet with a reduced carbohydrate content can improve patients’ ability to regulate their blood sugar levels – without the patients concurrently losing weight,” said Thure Krarup, one of the study authors.

He added that the findings are important because he and his colleagues removed weight loss from the equation. As he explained, past studies provided contradictory findings on the efficacy of reduced-carb diets. This was because these studies did not account for the weight loss factor, complicating interpretations.

Why switch to a low-carb diet if you’re diabetic

A low-carb diet is one of the most effective strategies for managing diabetes. For starters, high-carb foods elevate blood sugar levels more than any other food. In diabetics who do not produce enough insulin, these foods can cause blood sugar spikes.

Carb-rich foods also tend to be high in calories but low in nutrients like protein. As such, eating too many of these “empty calories” can cause you to gain weight. Also, studies show that eating carb-rich foods devoid of healthy fats can cause you to feel hungry more easily, causing you to overeat.

Eating a low-carb diet, on the other hand, prevents blood sugar spikes caused by high-carb foods. It also offers other health benefits, including the following:

• Provides a lot of energy
• Reduces your food cravings, especially for sugar
• Lowers the risk of hypoglycemia, where your blood sugar levels are lower than normal
• Aids in weight loss
• Reduces your risk of long-term diabetes complications
• Lowers cholesterol

How to do a low-carb diet

A standard low-carb diet includes up to 130 grams (g) of carbs per day while a very low-carb diet incorporates only 30 g or less per day. Consult with your healthcare professional when deciding which of the two to follow.

Before starting the diet, count your daily carb intake for a few days and then set a new target. Start slowly by gradually reducing your carb consumption and be sure to check your blood sugar regularly.

Most of the calories in a low-carb diet should come from healthy sources, such as the following:

• Vegetables, especially cruciferous veggies
• Lean protein, such as eggs, fish, nuts and tofu
• Healthy fats, like those found in olive oil and avocado
• Fruits (in moderation)

Though many fruits are high in sugar, they remain much healthier sources than sugary and artificially sweetened foods. Opt for fruits over baked goods and other treats if you’re craving for sweets.

Avoid the following foods when on a low-carb diet:

• Processed foods, such as prepackaged meals and salt snacks
• Sugary foods, such as pastries, candies, sodas and juices
• Starches, particularly white bread and bagels
• Alcoholic drinks
• Potatoes and any potato product
• Other starchy veggies, such as chickpeas
• White pasta

Following a low-carb diet helps lower your blood sugar and promotes weight loss, among many others. Check with your healthcare professional to get started with this diet.

Sources:

ScienceDaily.com

Link.Springer.com

MedicalNewsToday.com