Denmark: A recent study in the journal Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism showed a beneficial effect of a non-calorie-restricted low-carbohydrate (LCD) diet high in fat on blood sugar control and weight at 6 months of follow-up. Also, it was not shown to adversely affect cardiovascular risk factors in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D).
The findings suggest that reducing carbohydrate intake to 10-25 E% might be a safe and effective nutritional approach with regards to hypoglycemia and classical cardiovascular risk factors.

Kurt Højlund, Steno Diabetes Center Odense, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark, and colleagues conducted the study with an objective to investigate the efficacy and safety of a non-calorie-restricted LCD on body composition, glycemic control, and cardiovascular risk factors in T2D patients instructed to maintain their non-insulin antidiabetic medication and physical activity in an open-label randomized controlled trial (RCT).
Patients with T2D were randomized in the ratio of 2:1 to receive either an LCD with a maximum of 20 E% from carbohydrates (n=49) or a control diet with 50-60 E% from carbohydrates (n=22) for 6 months. Examinations at enrollment and after 3 and 6 months included anthropometrics, blood sample analyses, blood sample analyses, accelerometer-based assessment of physical activity, and food diaries. Using DXA-scan, they determined the total fat mass and lean mass. In addition, the mean difference in change between groups from baseline was also reported.
Following were the study's key findings:
The LCD group decreased carbohydrate intake to 13.4 E% and increased fat intake to 63.2%, which was -30.5±2.2 E% lower for carbohydrates and 30.6±2.2 E% higher for fat, respectively, compared with the control group.
The LCD reduced HbA1c after 3 months (-8.9±1.7 mmol/mol), and this was maintained after 6 months (-7.5±1.8 mmol/mol) compared with the control diet.
The LCD also reduced weight (-3.9±1.0 kg), BMI (-1.4±0.4 kg/m2) and waist (-4.9±1.3 cm) compared to control diet, and were accompanied by reductions in total fat mass (-2.2±1.0 kg) and lean mass (-1.3±0.6 kg).
No changes in blood lipids or blood pressure were seen after 6 months.
Level of physical activity was maintained, and there were no episodes of severe hypoglycemia.
"The findings indicate that A non-calorie-restricted LCD high in fat has significant beneficial effects on glycemic control and body composition, and does not adversely affect cardiovascular risk factors in patients with T2D," the researchers concluded.
Reference:
doi: 10.1111/dom.14633