Control Diabetes with a Low Carbohydrate Diet

Not only diabetics, low-carbohydrate diets are popularly carried out by many people in order to lose weight, control blood sugar levels, and to reduce carbohydrate intake.


In general, there are no definite rules that are standard in following a low-carb diet. Those who go on this diet will usually adjust to their comfort level in living it. For example, some people choose to reduce the amount of carbohydrates that go in than they normally consume, while others count with precision the number of calories that enter the body.

Benefits of undergoing a low-carb diet for people with diabetes

For diabetics, a low-carbohydrate diet is considered as one of the appropriate diets to help control blood sugar levels in the body. In fact, as reported by HealthLine, a low-carbohydrate diet used as a therapy for diabetics before the discovery of insulin. Diabetics generally can not process carbohydrates properly because of the failure of insulin in the process of entering carbohydrates that have been in the form of glucose into the body to be broken down into energy.

Low carbohydrate diets can be run by people with any type of diabetes. People with type two diabetes follow this diet to keep their blood sugar levels within normal limits. Meanwhile, low-carb diets carried out by type one diabetes also help them have stable blood sugar levels and make the body more predictable and controlled.

Low carbohydrate diets work well when carried out with discipline and in a long period of time. In one study, patients with type two diabetes who underwent this diet program for six months managed to control their diabetes for up to three years. Similar to those with type two diabetes, patients with type one diabetes also show elevated blood sugar levels for over four years.

Some other benefits of following a low-carb diet, namely:

• Lower HbA1C levels
• Helps to lose weight safely
• Reducing the possibility of a spike in blood sugar levels
• Reducing the risk of severe hypoglycemia
• Produce more energy
• Reducing the habit of snacks and contain sugar
• Reducing the risk of health complications

Is a low carb diet safe for everyone?

Although proven to be able to help control blood sugar levels well in patients with diabetes, it does not mean this diet can be done carelessly. You still need advice from medical experts and maybe your nutritionist about this problem.

If you have kidney problems or have experienced an eating disorder, you should contact your doctor before undergoing this diet. Low-carb diets sometimes make us consume more protein. While high-protein foods can worsen kidney disease experienced.

Even though it has been proven to have a good effect on people with type one diabetes, there are still things that must be considered. Because it is low in carbohydrates, the body will produce more energy from the burning of protein and fat. Burning fat produces ketones that are acidic to the body. Excess ketone in the body will bring you to the condition of ketoacidosis. Consult with your doctor before going on this diet, because the diet that you do will make your body make adjustments so that sometimes the drug administration needs to be adjusted as well.

Types of low-carb diets

Low-carbohydrate diets are divided into two types based on their successor composition:

High in protein. This type allows people who live it to add more amounts of protein as a substitute for carbohydrates. Usually, people who take this type of diet will consume a lot of animal products (like meat) and know to get a source of protein.

High in fat. This diet is done by increasing the consumption of fat, meat, chicken, fish, and several other types of high-fat foods such as milk, olive oil, avocados to store calories as a source of energy. If this diet is done with a very small amount of carbohydrates, this diet is called the keto diet.

How much carbohydrate intake is needed for people with diabetes who are on this diet?

Not yet known the exact number of carbohydrate consumption restrictions that can be used as a reference. Usually, those who undergo this diet program can determine for themselves how much carbohydrates they consume so that this diet provides an optimal impact. Because, everyone responds to carbohydrates in different ways.

Research conducted in 2008 as reported by diabetes.co.uk classified daily carbohydrate intake categories as below:

•  Enough carbohydrates: 130-225 grams
•  Low carbohydrate: under 130 grams
•  Very low in carbohydrates: under 30 grams

It's important to determine the amount of carbohydrate intake that will bring maximum results to your diet program. For example, those with type one diabetes may not really need weight loss, so the 130-225 gram carbohydrate needs can work well on themselves. Whereas for people with type two diabetes who may be overweight so weight reduction is one of the targets, a very low-carbohydrate diet (also known as the keto diet) can be their choice.

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