Low-carb diets restrict the consumption of carbohydrate-rich foods, such as rice, pasta, bread, breakfast cereals, baked goods, potatoes, desserts, soft drinks and all sugar-containing foods. These foods cause large blood-sugar fluctuations, and controlling your carbohydrate intake can help you manage your diabetes. Low-carb diets are a good way to control your carb intake because they focus on foods such as nonstarchy vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, cheese, eggs, olive oil, nuts, nut butter and low-carb fruits like berries.
Blood-Sugar Levels
Low-carb diets can help diabetics improve their blood-sugar levels throughout the day, which is reflected in improvements in their A1C levels. A1C is a test that measures your average blood-sugar level over a period of approximately three months. An A1C of 7 percent or less is the target suggested by the American Diabetes Association. In a long-term study, type 2 diabetics following a low-carb diet providing 80 g to 90 g of carbohydrates a day reduced their A1C levels from 8 percent to 6.1 percent in six months, as published in the May 2008 issue of "Nutrition & Metabolism." Those who continued to follow the diet were able to keep their A1C within target over 44 months.
Lipid Profile
Low-carb diets are particularly effective at improving your lipid profile, because they lower triglycerides and increase HDL cholesterol, as reported in the July 2005 issue of "Nutrition & Metabolism." The effect of low-carb diets on blood cholesterol and fat levels can help to significantly reduce the risk of developing heart disease and stroke, which are some of the main long-term complications affecting people with diabetes.
Diabetic Low-Carb Diets
Different low-carb diets have varying degrees of restriction. The strictest limit carbohydrates to less than 50 g a day, while the majority recommend 100 to 150 g a day. Some allow up to 150 g. Everybody has a different tolerance for carbohydrates, but diabetics usually have a low tolerance and do better with a lower carbohydrate intake. Dr. Surender K. Arora, an endocrinologist based in Shreveport, Louisiana, supports low-carb diets for diabetics but advises a minimum intake of 30 g a day.
Special Considerations
If you want to try restricting your carbohydrate intake to improve your diabetes, especially your daily blood-sugar level, A1C level, triglycerides and HDL cholesterol, it is important to first consult your doctor. If you take insulin or other medications to lower your blood-sugar, some adjustments in dosage may be needed. It is also a good idea to get some blood work done before and after switching to a low-carb diet to see how this new way of eating benefits your diabetes tests.
References
- American Diabetes Association: Tight Diabetes Control
- "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"; The Case for Low Carbohydrate Diets in Diabetes Management; Surender K. Arora et al; July 2005
- "The New Atkins for a New You"; Eric C. Westman, et al.; 2010
