A new study from Tulane University says a low-carb diet can cut dangerous blood sugar levels in those with pre-diabetes or mild diabetes.
Kirsten Dorans, assistant professor of epidemiology says the results are the first indication that people who are not already being treated with medications that lower blood sugar can benefit from a low carb diet alone.
“We saw a larger drop in Hemoglobin A1C, which is a clinical marker of long-term blood sugar levels, in those who were in the low-carb group,” Dorans said.
The study involved 150 adults in the New Orleans area who were either pre-diabetic or had relatively mild cases of diabetes. She says experts already knew that medication helped lower blood sugar.
“In people with pre-diabetes and those who have type 2 diabetes that’s not treated by medication there’s been much less evidence about whether low-carb diets can lower blood sugar,” Dorans said.
The people who participated in the study were divided into two groups. One group stuck to their usual diets. The other went on a low-carb diet for six months. Dorans says those on the low-carb diet had other health benefits.
“An important thing to note is we also saw substantial weight loss in those in the low carb group as well,” she said but added that people who are on medications that lower their blood sugar should speak with their doctor before changing their diet.
The American Diabetes Association says about half a million adults in Louisiana have been diagnosed with Diabetes, and 1.2 million people here have pre-diabetes, with blood glucose levels that are higher than normal but not yet high enough to be full-blown diabetes.
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