The Atkins diet was proposed by Dr. Robert Atkins in the 1970s as an alternative to low-fat diets for weight loss. Since then, many diet books refining the principles and concepts of this low-carb diet have been published, including the most recent, titled "The New Atkins for a New You," released in 2010 and written by three scientific researchers specializing in the topic of low-carb eating. The Atkins diet can be a useful tool for people with diabetes to improve their blood sugar management; and if you have pre-diabetes, it could benefit you in the same way and help you avoid developing type 2 diabetes.
Pre-Diabetes
Pre-diabetes, which is often associated with the metabolic syndrome or syndrome X, is characterized by insulin resistance. Normally the body secretes insulin, which helps maintain blood sugar levels in the healthy range. With pre-diabetes, however, although the body produces lots of insulin, the cells, tissues and organs are insulin resistant, which means insulin cannot fulfill its role in lowering blood sugar levels. This is why blood sugar levels are higher with pre-diabetes, although they are not high enough to fall in the diabetes category. Being in the pre-diabetic range predisposes you to developing type 2 diabetes, and adopting a healthy diet is important to prevent your blood sugars from getting out of control.
The Atkins Diet
The Atkins diet is a low-carb diet divided into four main phases, from the induction phase, which is the strictest in terms of carbohydrate restriction, to the lifetime maintenance phase, which helps you determine the amount of carbohydrate your body is able to handle. The Atkins diet limits the consumption of carbohydrates by restricting or eliminating bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, breakfast cereals, crackers, sugar-containing foods, fruits, milk and yogurt. A typical Atkins meal includes non-starchy vegetables; a serving of protein from either fish, poultry, meat, eggs or cheese; and fats from butter, cream, olive oil, avocado, nuts, nut butter or bacon.
The Atkins Diet and Diabetes
Diabetes is a condition characterized by an intolerance to carbohydrates; and following a low-carb diet such as the Atkins diet can help diabetics lower their blood sugar levels and reduce their need for diabetes medications, according to a 16-week study and a longer-term, 44-month study published in the December 2005 and May 2008 issues of "Nutrition & Metabolism." In the 16-week study, participants followed a very low-carb diet, similar to the induction phase of the Atkins diet, and aimed for less than 20 g of carbohyrates a day; participants in the 44-month study consumed an average of 80 to 90 g of carbohydrates a day, much as in phases 2, 3 and 4 of the Atkins diet, depending on individual carbohydrate tolerance. All participants were able to normalize their blood sugar levels; many diabetics were even able to go off their medications.
The Atkins Diet and Prediabetes
If low-carb diets are helpful in diabetics, this way of eating can also be beneficial for pre-diabetics to reduce insulin resistance, improve blood sugar control and prevent type 2 diabetes, as explained by Dr. Eric C. Westman, coauthor of "The New Atkins for a New You." If you intend to start on the Atkins diet, consult your doctor first, especially if you take medications. Lowering your carb intake may necessitate timely adjustments to your treatment plan, and it is best to be monitored by your doctor during this transition period.
References
- "Nutrition & Metabolism"; Low-Carbohydrate Diet in Type 2 Diabetes: Stable Improvement of Bodyweight and Glycemic Control During 44 Months Follow-Up; Jörgen V. Nielsen and Eva A. Joensson; May 2008
- "Nutrition & Metabolism"; A Low-Carbohydrate, Ketogenic Diet to Treat Type 2 Diabetes; William S. Yancy Jr. et al.; December 2005
- "Nutrition & Metabolism"; The Case for Low Carbohydrate Diets in Diabetes Management; Surender K. Arora and Samy I. McFarlane; July 2005
- "The New Atkins for a New You"; Eric C. Westman et al.; 2010
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