A recent study turns conventional thinking on its head. Low carb diets can cut or eliminate the need for diabetic drugs. It associates healthy fats with decreases in cardiovascular disease. Good news for diabetics; bad news for big pharma and dietary dictocrats.

The study is called “Dietary carbohydrate restriction in type 2 diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome: time for a critical appraisal.” It’s a mouthful that carries several profound messages. The findings:

1. Carbohydrate restriction improves glycemic control, the primary target of nutritional therapy and reduces insulin fluctuations.

2. Carbohydrate-restricted diets are at least as effective for weight loss as low fat diets.

3. Substitution of fat for carbohydrate is generally beneficial for markers for and incidence of cardiovascular disease.

4. Carbohydrate restriction improves the features of metabolic syndrome.

5. Beneficial effects of carbohydrate restriction do not require weight loss.

So what led to this study in the first place? The intransigence of the American Diabetic Association and their like. The study authors explain:

“The epidemic of diabetes continues unabated, and impassioned calls for better treatment and prevention strategies are common features of scientific conferences. While it is generally acknowledged that total dietary carbohydrate is the major factor in glycemic control, strategies based on reduction of dietary carbohydrate have received little support. The American Diabetes Association, for example, has traditionally recommend against low carbohydrate diets (less than 130 g/day[1]; while the most recent guidelines [2] admit such diets as an alternative approach to weight loss, they continue to emphasize concerns and downplay benefits. Similarly, the Diabetes and Nutrition Study Group of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes [3] reported “no justification for the recommendation of very low carbohydrate diets in persons with diabetes.” We feel, however, that there is ample evidence to warrant an alternative perspective and that diets based on carbohydrate restriction should be re-evaluated in light of current understanding of the underlying biochemistry and available clinical data.”

The abstract is even more interesting:

“Current nutritional approaches to metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes generally rely on reductions in dietary fat. The success of such approaches has been limited and therapy more generally relies on pharmacology. The argument is made that a re-evaluation of the role of carbohydrate restriction, the historical and intuitive approach to the problem, may provide an alternative and possibly superior dietary strategy. The rationale is that carbohydrate restriction improves glycemic control and reduces insulin fluctuations which are primary targets. Experiments are summarized showing that carbohydrate-restricted diets are at least as effective for weight loss as low-fat diets and that substitution of fat for carbohydrate is generally beneficial for risk of cardiovascular disease. These beneficial effects of carbohydrate restriction do not require weight loss. Finally, the point is reiterated that carbohydrate restriction improves all of the features of metabolic syndrome.”

And here is where it gets really interesting.

The study included nineteen overweight Type II Diabetics who, for 16 weeks, participated in a low-carb diet and were able to reduce or in the case of seven of the participants, discontinue their diabetes medication altogether. This is what we want to do in real health — not manage disease but eliminate it. Fix the underlying cause. Heal, period. Why is this so hard for the medicrats to grasp?

And more remarkable news — this on SATURATED fat:

Another study cited in the present study showed that increased saturated fat lead to a decrease in small, dense LDL. AND a further study showed that greater intake of saturated fat was associated with reduced progression of coronary atherosclerosis; greater carbohydrate intake was linked to increased progression.

To wrap it up:

This all sounds remarkably similar to what Robert Atkins was teaching. Trends come and go and Atkins had his day but the science remains. As the authors conclude: “The term low-carbohydrate diet is frequently taken as synonymous with the popular Atkins diet[60] which remains highly controversial. Carbohydrate control, however, has many implementations and the severity of the epidemic of diabetes makes it appropriate to go beyond historical controversy and analyze dietary interventions as they are actually implemented.”

We here at Campaign for Real Health are not shy about proclaiming we are big fans of healthy dietary fat. Our most popular post to date was this one that reviews a very recent article on scientific evidence from around the world showing just how healthy dietary fat is! If you want to read more about the study this post cites, you may access a detailed report, here.

LEARN MORE!

The following books will facilitate your further study of this important subject. The more information you have, the more you can do for your own health and that of your loved ones!

Know Your Fats : The Complete Primer for Understanding the Nutrition of Fats, Oils and Cholesterol

The Schwarzbein Principle: The Truth about Losing Weight, Being Healthy and Feeling Younger

Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats

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