A new study led by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health has found that following a low-carbohydrate diet that is mainly composed of plant-based foods can significantly reduce the risk of premature death among people with type 2 diabetes.
This is the first study of its kind to examine the relationship between low-carbohydrate diet patterns and mortality among people with diagnosed type 2 diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition that affects how the body processes glucose, the main source of energy for the body’s cells.
It is often associated with unhealthy eating habits and can lead to a range of serious complications, such as heart disease, kidney failure, and blindness.
The researchers analyzed 34 years of health data from 7,224 women participating in the Nurses’ Health Study and 2,877 men participating in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, all of whom developed type 2 diabetes after those studies began.
The participants completed questionnaires on lifestyle and medical history every other year.
This allows the researchers to assess the compositions of their diets and score them according to intake of animal proteins and fats, vegetable proteins and fats, high-quality carbohydrates, and low-quality carbohydrates.
The study found that people with type 2 diabetes who followed a low-carbohydrate dietary pattern had a 24% lower risk of premature death from any cause.
The health benefits were strongest for low-carbohydrate diets that emphasized plant-based foods and high-quality carbohydrates, such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
These diets were also associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer mortality.
However, low-carbohydrate diets that emphasized animal products and low-quality carbohydrates, such as potatoes, added sugars, and refined grains, were not significantly associated with lower mortality.
The researchers also observed that the strongest health benefits were seen among people who adhered to other healthy habits, such as not smoking, regularly exercising, and drinking alcohol in moderation, alongside a plant-based low-carbohydrate diet.
“This study, once again, underscores the importance of diet quality when choosing among various diets for diabetes control and management,” said Qi Sun, senior author and associate professor in the Departments of Nutrition and Epidemiology.
The findings of this study suggest that following a low-carbohydrate diet that emphasizes plant-based foods and high-quality carbohydrates can be a beneficial dietary strategy for people with type 2 diabetes.
By avoiding refined and highly-processed carbohydrates and consuming more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, people with type 2 diabetes may be able to better manage their condition and reduce their risk of premature death.
If you care about diabetes, please read studies that pomace olive oil could help lower blood cholesterol, and honey could help control blood sugar.
For more information about health, please see recent studies that blueberries strongly benefit people with metabolic syndrome, and results showing Vitamin D may reduce dangerous complications in type 2 diabetes.
The study was conducted by Yang Hu et al and published in Diabetes Care.
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