Can a Low-Carb Diet Reverse Type 2 Diabetes? A New Study Suggests It Might

Over the years, research has shown various benefits of following a low-carbohydrate diet. Eating less starches and grains and instead focusing on meats and fats have been shown to help people lose weight, maintain blood glucose levels, and even lower the risk of heart disease. And a new study out this week suggests that sticking to the diet could even help improve beta-cell function in people with type 2 diabetes.

The study, which was in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, looked at data from 57 Black and White adults with confirmed type 2 diabetes. Half of the participants were put on a low-carbohydrate diet, and the other half were put on a high carbohydrate diet. Those on the low-carbohydrate diet ate 9 percent carbohydrates and 65 percent fat, and those on the high-carbohydrate diet ate 55 percent carbohydrates and 20 percent fat. The researchers then looked at their beta-cell function and insulin secretion at the beginning of the study, and after 12 weeks. (Beta cells are located in the pancreas, and are responsible for producing insulin, which controls blood sugar levels. Those with Type 2 diabetes have a compromised beta-cell response to blood sugar, which can occur after high carbohydrate intake).

“This study shows people with type 2 diabetes on a low-carbohydrate diet can recover their beta-cells, an outcome that cannot be achieved with medication.”

In the study, participants on a low-carbohydrate saw great improvements in their beta cell responses to blood sugar changes. These improvements were 22 percent greater than those on the high carbohydrate diet. The researchers also looked at the results across demographics and found that Black adults on a low-carbohydrate diet saw 110 percent greater improvements in their acute beta-cell response compared to their counterparts on a high carbohydrate diet.

“This study shows people with type 2 diabetes on a low-carbohydrate diet can recover their beta-cells, an outcome that cannot be achieved with medication,” said lead study author Barbara Gower, a professor in the department of nutrition at the University of Alabama at Birmingham in a press release. “People with mild type 2 diabetes who reduce their carbohydrate intake may be able to discontinue medication and enjoy eating meals and snacks that are higher in protein and meet their energy needs.”

While further research is needed to see if low-carbohydrate diets can fully restore beta cell function, the study hints at a possible treatment for type 2 diabetes. Diabetes affects more than 38 million Americans. Over 90 percent of those with diabetes have type 2 diabetes, which typically affects those aged 45 or older but is now developing in younger populations.