Type 2 diabetes patients who went on a low-carbohydrate diet saw their insulin production double, potentially eliminating their need for medication, according to a new study published Tuesday in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
Type 2 diabetes occurs when insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells become less effective. Insulin is needed to regulate blood sugar levels, and when there is not enough being produced, blood sugar levels rise, causing various diseases linked to Type 2 diabetes.
No conventional drug for Type 2 diabetes has been shown to improve beta cells' immediate insulin secretion. Beta-cell function usually declines despite treatment with anti-hyperglycemic agents, the researchers wrote in the study.
Diabetes affects about one in 10 Americans, with Type 2 diabetes accounting for about 90 percent of cases, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Lifestyle changes -- including a healthy diet, regular physical activity, and weight management -- have been shown to help prevent or delay the onset of Type 2 diabetes.
After discontinuing participants' medications for one to two weeks, researchers divided participants into two groups: a low-carb group eating 9 percent carbohydrates and 65 percent fat and a high-carb group eating 55 percent carbohydrates and 20 percent fat.
After 12 weeks, participants whose diet was low on carbohydrates experienced a two-fold increase in activity in the insulin-producing cells. Those served the higher-carbohydrate meals had a 32 percent increase in beta-cell activity.
The researchers concluded that a carbohydrate-restricted diet "has beneficial effects on [beta-cell] function in patients with mild [Type 2 diabetes]."
The new research could be very beneficial for diabetes patients, Dr. Jason Fung, a physician and author of "The Diabetes Code: Prevent and Reverse Type 2 Diabetes Naturally," told The Epoch Times.
"People with Type 2 diabetes need to know that a dietary intervention, reducing carbohydrates, has the potential to reverse their disease without the need for medication," Fung wrote in an email.
While medication can help manage Type 2 diabetes, it cannot reverse the condition on its own, as it does not address its root cause: diet, according to Fung.
The researchers noted that inadequate first-phase secretion leads to high blood sugar levels, which initiates the development of Type 2 diabetes.
The study showed that low-carb dietary interventions could amp up beta-cell activity, suggesting that this dietary approach may be able to stop diabetes before it takes hold.
The American Diabetes Association acknowledges a substantial body of clinical evidence supporting the benefits of lower-carbohydrate dietary patterns for managing diabetes, Fung said.
The new study "adds to the growing body of evidence supporting the idea that reducing sugar consumption and promoting lifestyle changes should be the primary interventions for diabetes," Dr. Chad Savage, an internal medicine physician, told The Epoch Times.
While the superiority of lifestyle changes over medication has been known for decades, systemic issues hinder implementation, Savage, affiliated with Samaritan Ministries International, a nonprofit health care organization, noted.
"Many overlook the impact of the government-controlled, insurance-based payment system, which creates a harried physician workforce too rushed to dedicate the time and attention needed to support patients in making these challenging lifestyle changes," he said.