RDs know how powerful nutrition therapy can be for managing diabetes and lowering the risk of its associated long-term complications. Since type 2 diabetes is characterized by elevated blood sugar levels caused by impaired insulin sensitivity, eventually accompanied by insufficient pancreatic insulin production, it seems intuitive that controlling dietary carbohydrates, the main nutrient that directly influences glycemia, would be a logical dietary approach for diabetes management.
For that reason, low-carbohydrate diets have constituted the standard treatment for type 2 diabetes for centuries. Since the advent of insulin-sensitizing drugs and oral hypoglycemic agents, however, nutritional guidelines have evolved and the current diet for diabetes now is relatively high in carbohydrates. But could some patients and clients with type 2 diabetes benefit from adopting a lower-carbohydrate approach?
The Duke study also showed potential of low-carb diets to optimize glycemic control.2 Although both diets in the study resulted in significant improvements, hemoglobin A1c decreased more in the low-carb group compared with the low-glycemic group (-1.5% vs. -0.5%), independent of weight loss. Within the study period, almost all subjects in the low-carb group (95.2%) reduced or eliminated their diabetes medications compared with only 62% in the low-glycemic group.
Dietitians now can offer low-carb diets as an option for their clients with type 2 diabetes, helping them focus on nutrient-rich foods to ensure nutritional adequacy. Working in concert with physicians also is important to allow timely adjustments of medications, especially insulin, oral hypoglycemic agents, and hypotensive medications, and the regular monitoring of the health risk profile.
Full article here.
No comments:
Post a Comment