A recent American study found that people with type 2 diabetes who eat a low-carb diet (such as bread, rice, and pasta) may be able to stop taking the medication.
The study found that a low-carb diet may improve beta cell function in people with type 2 diabetes.
Beta cells are cells in the pancreas that produce and secrete insulin, the hormone that controls blood sugar levels.
Type 2 diabetes often develops in people aged 45 or older, but more and more children, teenagers and young adults are also developing this disease.
People with type 2 diabetes have a weak beta cell response to blood sugar, possibly due in part to eating too many carbohydrates. Beta cell failure or insufficiency as well as insulin resistance are responsible for the development and progression of type 2 diabetes.
The study was conducted by researchers led by Dr. Barbara Goyer, from the University of Alabama, and was published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, and written about on the Eurek Alert website.
Dr. Barbara Goyer said: “This study shows that people with type 2 diabetes who follow a low-carb diet can restore beta cells, a result that cannot be achieved with medications. People with mild type 2 diabetes who reduce their carbohydrate intake may be able to From stopping medication and enjoying meals and snacks that are higher in protein and meet their energy needs.”
The researchers collected data from 57 adults with type 2 diabetes, half of whom followed a low-carbohydrate diet and the other half followed a high-carbohydrate diet, and examined beta cell function and insulin secretion at the beginning and after 12 weeks.
All participants were provided with meals. People on a carbohydrate-restricted diet ate 9% carbohydrates and 65% fat, and participants on a high-carb diet ate 55% carbohydrates and 20% fat.
The researchers found that those on a low-carb diet versus a high-carb diet saw an improvement in acute and maximal beta cell responses of 22% greater, respectively.
“More research is needed to determine whether a low-carb diet can restore beta cell function and lead to remission in people with type 2 diabetes,” Goyer said.
More information about type 2 diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is one of the types of diabetes that leads to high levels of glucose in the blood. It occurs as a result of resistance in the body’s cells to the hormone insulin or insufficient amount of insulin produced in the pancreas, as a result of several factors, the most important of which are weight gain and lack of physical activity. It is also called non-insulin dependent diabetes and adult-onset diabetes.
In this type of diabetes, the pancreas produces a normal amount of insulin and perhaps also more than usual, but it is not enough for the body or there is resistance from the cells to insulin so it is no longer able to influence them and thus bring glucose from the blood into them. This causes glucose to accumulate in the blood and its levels to rise.
This type differs from the first type of diabetes, in which the pancreas stops producing insulin as a result of the body’s immune system destroying the hormone-producing beta cells in the pancreas. In type 2 diabetes, beta cells produce insulin naturally, and they may produce a larger amount, but it is not sufficient to metabolize glucose in the body.
Therefore, the doctor usually begins treating patients with type 2 diabetes by making the patient lose weight, exercise, and modify his lifestyle, that is, changing the factors that lead to the occurrence of the disease. This explains why this disease is called non-insulin-dependent diabetes.
However, if the patient fails to change his eating habits, reduce his weight, and increase his physical activity, and the sugar level does not decrease despite the previous changes, then he moves to other treatment options that ultimately lead to insulin injections.
Type 2 diabetes usually occurs after the middle of forty, but its incidence rates are currently increasing steadily among young people, youth, and even children, which is attributed to the increase in obesity rates in society.
Although scientists have not yet been able to fully understand the cause of type 2 diabetes, there are a group of factors associated with it, which are:
- Overweight and obesity.
- Lack of physical activity and lethargy.
- If a person’s grease (fat) accumulates in his abdomen (i.e. he has a visible belly), this makes him more susceptible to developing type 2 diabetes, compared to people whose fat is distributed on the thighs and hips.
- Genetics, as the probability of the disease increases if one or both parents or one of the siblings has type 2 diabetes.
Symptoms of type 2 diabetes
- exhaustion.
- Low weight.
- Constant thirst.
- Frequent urination.
- Constant hunger.
- Blurred vision.
- Slowing the wound healing process.
Complications of type 2 diabetes
Uncontrolled diabetes, whether type 2 or 1, leads to a group of complications that can be reduced by controlling blood sugar levels through diet, exercise, weight control, and treatment. Complications include:
- Cardiovascular diseases.
- Nerve damage, which leads to decreased sensation in the extremities, which increases the risk of wounds and burns due to lack of sensation.
- Erectile problems in men.
- Kidney damage, leading to kidney failure and the need for dialysis or a kidney transplant.
- Vision problems. Diabetes increases the risk of cataracts, glaucoma, and blindness.
- Diabetes may increase a person’s likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s.