Low-carb diets, such as Atkins, limit carbohydrate intake and increase the consumption of protein and fats. Although low-carb diets are popular due to their ability to cause fat loss, they also help reduce insulin and blood glucose levels, which can be beneficial to those with impaired fasting glucose.
Impaired Fasting Glucose
Blood glucose levels are normally kept between 70 and 99 mg/dL for optimum health. A fasting blood glucose test is done after 8 hours of fasting or overnight. Blood sugar levels between 100 and 125 mg/dL indicate that you have impaired fasting glucose, also called prediabetes, according to the Mayo Clinic. Risk factors for prediabetes include obesity, family history of prediabetes, low good HDL cholesterol and high triglyceride levels.
Lowers Blood Glucose Levels
Scientists at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey School of Osteopathic Medicine studied the impact of a low-carb diet on blood glucose levels in type 2 diabetics. Subjects followed their usual diet for 7 days and then switched to a low-carb diet for 2 weeks. At the end of the study, which was published in the March 2005 issue of “Annals of Internal Medicine,” scientists discovered that participants experienced decreases in blood glucose levels.
Additional Research
Similar results as the previous study were also demonstrated in a report published in the May 2003 issue of the “New England Journal of Medicine.” Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine examined the effects of a low-carb diet on obesity. They found that obese adults consuming a low-carb diet for 12 months experienced decreases in body weight, blood glucose and insulin levels compared with those who followed a low-fat diet.
Safety
The safety concerns of low-carb diets have been raised, particularly due to the increased consumption of protein and fats. In research reported in the April 2003 issue of the “Journal of the Medical Association,” researchers from Stanford University School of Medicine concluded that low-carb diets have no adverse effects on health in the short-term; however, long-term effects are not yet known and need to be studied.
References
- Mayo Clinic; Prediabetes; January 2011
- "Annals of Internal Medicine"; Effect of a Low-Carbohydrate Diet on Appetite, Blood Glucose Levels, and Insulin Resistance in Obese Patients With Type 2 Diabetes; G. Bodene et al.; March 2005
- "New England Journal of Medicine"; A Randomized Trial of a Low-Carbohydrate Diet For Obesity; G.D. Foster et al.; May 2003
- "Journal of the American Medical Association"; Efficacy and Safety of Low-Carbohydrate Diets: a Systematic Review; D.M. Bravata et al.; April 2003
