Both the Atkins and South Beach diets are low-carb approaches to weight-loss, but each encourages a different proportion of carbs, protein and fat. If you have diabetes, choosing your carbohydrates carefully is an important part of controlling your blood sugar and insulin levels and preventing serious health complications. Talk to your doctor before making any changes to your diet.
Diabetes and Carbohydrates
Two types of carbohydrates -- sugar and starch -- have the greatest impact on blood sugar. Because your body can quickly digest these carbs and easily convert them to glucose, they have the potential to dramatically raise blood sugar, leading to hyperglycemia. Both the Atkins and South Beach diets restrict sugar and starches. But your body does need fiber -- a type of carbohydrate that slows digestion and helps stabilize glucose and insulin levels. Found in vegetables, fruits, beans and whole grains, these sources of carbs provide fiber and essential nutrients. Diabetics need to choose a low-carb diet that allows enough carbohydrates to ensure proper nutrition.
Carb Consumption
The University of Maryland Medical Center says you need between 100 and 150 g of carbs daily to provide adequate nutrition. In the weight-loss phase of the Atkins Diet, called Ongoing Weight Loss you'll be allowed up to 60 g of carbs daily. The second phase of the South Beach Diet allows for between 65 g and 90 g of carbs daily. The American Diabetes Association recommends that people with diabetes eat between 45 g and 60 g of carbs at each meal -- for a total of between 135 g and 180 g of carbs daily. The South Beach Diet, which has a higher carb intake, comes closer to the American Diabetes Association and UMM recommendations.
Protein Consumption and Saturated Fat
When you reduce carbohydrates, you eat more protein and fat to compensate for lost calories. The Atkins program allows for unlimited protein, with little regulation about the type of protein. The South Beach plan does restrict protein intake and encourages you to consume plant-based proteins, such as legumes and soy-based foods. By limiting animal protein, the South Beach Diet limits saturated fat intake. Saturated fat is the type of fat linked to increases in cholesterol and heart disease. The American Heart Association suggests limiting saturated fat intake to 7 percent of your total daily calories. The Atkins Diet used to allow for unlimited amounts of saturated fat, but modified the diet to limit saturated fat to 20 percent of caloric intake -- almost three times the AHA recommendation.
Diabetes and Protein Consumption
Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney disease in the U.S., notes the National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease. Many diabetics need to follow a low-protein diet to ease the strain placed on the kidneys during protein digestion. When your body breaks down protein, byproducts need to be filtered by your kidneys for elimination. If your kidneys can't eliminate waste, it builds up in your bloodstream. A low-protein diet can slow the progression of kidney disease, delaying the need for transplant or dialysis.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Low-Carb Diets: The Right Way to Go?; April 2007
- American Diabetes Association: Carbohydrate Counting
- American Heart Association; Saturated Fats; October 2010
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease; Kidney Disease of Diabetes; September 2008
- Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine: Atkins Diet Alert
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