Which One Is Best for Diabetics - a Low-Fat or a Low-Carbohydrate Diet?

Low-carbohydrate diets improve insulin sensitivity for people with type 2 diabetes and glycemic control.  According to a study published in the issue of Diabetes Care, Dr. Nichola Davis and colleagues compared the benefits of a low-fat diet with low-carbohydrate diet for diabetics.

For non-diabetics a low-carbohydrate diet has the same effect as other diets – weight loss, but in diabetics’ case we can add the improving of glycemic control and insulin sensitivity.  Of course, medication was adjusted to avoid any weight gain.

The study shows a low-carbohydrate diet helps lose weight faster than a low-fat diet.  This is a result on a short term.  If we’re talking about a long term diet, both diets have the same weight loss results.

The low-carbohydrate diet was based on the Atkins diet.  This diet needs moderate physical activity in order to achieve your weight loss goals.  Following this diet means you can eat lean proteins, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and high-fiber fruits.

Here is a list of low-carbohydrate foods:

Proteins: beef, eggs, lamb, pork products, poultry, and seafood.

Dairy: butter, cream cheese, full-fat cheeses, full-fat sour cream, and heavy cream.

Vegetables: artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, eggplant, green beans, jicama, leafy greens, leeks, mushrooms, onions, peppers, pumpkin, sea vegetables, spaghetti squash, sprouts, tomatoes, yellow squash, and zucchini.

Fruits: avocado, blackberries, blueberries, canteloupe, nectarines, olives, peaches, rhubarb, squeeze of lemon or lime juice, and strawberries.

Nuts and seeds: almonds, cashews, coconut milk or unsweetened coconut, flax seed, macadamia nuts, nut butter, peanuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, sunflower seeds, and walnuts.

Herbs and spices: basil, chili powder, cumin, garlic, oregano, rosemary, tarragon, thyme, and turmeric.

Sauces and condiments: broth, hot sauce, marinara sauce, mayonnaise, mustard, salad dressing, salsa, tartar sauce.

Drinks: low carbohydrate beer, dry red wine, dry white wine, vodka, whiskey.

This other list is with low-fat foods:

Fruits:  apple, apricot, avocado, banana, cantaloupe, casaba melon, crenshaw melon, fig, grape, grapefruit, honeydew melon, lemon, lime, kiwi, mango, orange, papaya, peach, pear, persimmon, pineapple, plums, pomegranate, tangerine, and watermelon.

Berries: blueberries, boysenberries, cherries, cranberries, currants, gooseberries, loganberries, raspberries, and strawberries.

Dried fruits: apples, apricots, blueberries, cherries, cranberries, dates, figs, peaches, pears, prunes, raisins, and strawberries.

Vegetables: acorn squash, artichoke, asparagus, bean sprouts, beets, Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, celery, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, green, beans, Hubbard squash, iceberg lettuce or head lettuce, leeks, mushrooms, okra, onions, parsnips, baked potatoes, rutabaga, all varieties of squash, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, turnips, wax beans, zucchini, bok choi, broccoli, collard greens, dark green leafy vegetables, kale, mesclun, mustard greens, romaine lettuce, spinach, turnip greens, water crest, beet greens, chard, dandelion green, kelp, nori, dulse, agar-agar, arame, hijiki, kumbu, and wakame.

Beans and peas: black beans, black-eyed peas, chickpeas, great northern beans, green peas, kidney beans, lentils, lima beans, mung beans, navy beans, pinto beans, soy beans, split peas, tofu, white beans, and adzuki beans.

Proteins: egg whites, skinless chicken breast, skinless turkey breast, lean beef, lean pork, lean lamb, lean veal, liver, rabbit, venison, game hens, and game birds.

Fish and shellfish: catfish, cod, flounder, haddock, halibut, herring, mackeral, pollock, salmon, sea bass, snapper, swordfish, trout, tuna, clams, crab, crayfish, lobster, mussels, octopus, oysters, scallops, calamari, shrimp, and light tuna canned in water.

Nuts and seeds: low fat peanut butter, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, filberts, peanuts, pecans, pistachios, walnuts, and pine nuts.

Bottom of line, this study concluded a low-fat and low-carbohydrate diets have similar results.  It didn’t promote any fitness program because the researchers focused on the effects of diets.