According to new research from Tulane University, a low-carb diet can assist people with uncontrolled diabetes and decrease the blood sugar levels of those who are at risk of developing it. The study, published in the journal JAMA Network Open, compared two groups: one assigned to a low-carb diet and another that continued with their usual diet. After six months, the low-carb diet group had greater drops in hemoglobin A1c, a marker for blood sugar levels, when compared with the group who ate their usual diet. The low-carbohydrate diet group also lost weight and had lower fasting glucose levels.

“The key message is that a low-carbohydrate diet, if maintained, might be a useful approach for preventing and treating Type 2 diabetes, though more research is needed,” said lead author Kirsten Dorans, assistant professor of epidemiology at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. Approximately 37 million Americans have diabetes, a condition that occurs when the body doesn’t use insulin properly and can’t regulate blood sugar levels. Type 2 diabetes comprises more than 90 per cent of those cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Type 2 diabetes can severely impact quality of life with symptoms such as blurred vision, numb hands and feet, and overall tiredness and can cause other serious health problems like heart disease, vision loss and kidney disease. The study’s findings are especially important for those with pre-diabetes whose A1c levels are higher than normal but below levels that would be classified as diabetes.

Approximately 96 million Americans have pre-diabetes and more than 80 per cent of those with pre-diabetes are unaware, according to the CDC. Those with pre-diabetes are at increased risk for Type 2 diabetes, heart attacks or strokes and are usually not taking medications to lower blood sugar levels, making a healthy diet more crucial.   Source: ANI