Switching to a low-carb diet might reverse one of the cellular dysfunctions that drives type 2 diabetes Beta cell's sensitivity to blood sugar rebounded after people with the illness cut down on carbs More study is needed to see just how therapeutic this dietary change could be WEDNESDAY, Oct. 23, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Type 2 diabetes is caused in part by the failure of pancreatic beta cells to respond as they should to blood sugar. Now, new research suggests that switching to a low-carbohydrate diet might correct that beta cell dysfunction, boosting patients' health.
"People with type 2 diabetes on a low-carbohydrate diet can recover their beta cells, an outcome that cannot be achieved with medication,” noted lead study author , of the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The findings suggest that “people with mild type 2 diabetes who reduce their carbohydrate intake may be able to discontinue medication and enjoy eating meals and snacks that are higher in protein and meet their energy needs," Gower added in a news release from the Endocrine Society. As the research team explained, -- by far the most common form of the disease -- is caused in part by an impairment in beta-cell function and loss of beta cells.
Beta cells are made in the pancreas and produce insulin, the hormone humans need to control blood sugar levels. Her team theorized that damage to beta cells may be due, at least in part, to excessive intake of carbohydrate-rich foods such as bread and pasta. In t.