Researchers say low-carb diet benefits Diabetics
Jun 14, 2006
Paper is Published in Journal Edited by SUNY Downstate Professor of Biochemistry
With a continuing epidemic of type 2 diabetes and dwindling resources to combat it,
new approaches are clearly needed. Because it is disease of insulin and blood sugar
regulation, low-carbohydrate diets have been an obvious choice for diabetic patients
but have been resisted by some professionals and agencies in favor of pharmacologic
approaches.
Now, medical researchers in Sweden have reported a follow-up study of patients on
a low-carbohydrate diet up to 22 months and report stable improvement and reduced
need for medication.
The Swedish group, led by Dr. Jorgen Vesti Nielsen, had previously reported on16 obese
patients on a 20-percent carbohydrate diet over 6 months. After 22 months, patients
continued to show improvement in hemoglobin A1C, a marker for long-term blood-sugar
levels in diabetes. Dr. Nielsen is with the Department of Medicine at Blekinge Hospital
in Karlshamn.
The paper was published today in Nutrition & Metabolism, an open access journal [no
subscription required (http://www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/home/)]. Richard Feinman,
PhD, professor of biochemistry at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, is editor
of the journal. The paper also reports that seven patients who immediately switched
to a 20-percent carbohydrate diet from a low-fat diet in the earlier study also showed
improvement.
According to Dr. Feinman, “It is a small study, but it is the longest of its kind
and it shows people coming off medication and improving their glycemic control.”
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About SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University
Downstate Health Sciences University in Brooklyn is one of four academic health centers (AMCs) in The State University of New York (SUNY) 64-campus system and the only SUNY AMC in New York City dedicated to health education, research, and patient care for the borough’s 2.7 million residents. Its flagship hospital, University Hospital at Downstate (UHD), is a teaching hospital and benefits from the expertise of Downstate’s exceptional medical school and world-class academic center research facilities. With a staff of over 800 physicians representing 53 specialties and subspecialties, Downstate offers comprehensive healthcare services to the community.
UHD provides high-risk neonatal and infant services, pediatric nephrology, and dialysis for kidney diseases and is the only kidney transplantation program in Brooklyn. Beyond its clinical expertise, Downstate houses a range of esteemed educational institutions, including its College of Medicine, College of Nursing, School of Health Professions, School of Graduate Studies, and School of Public Health. Downstate fosters innovation through its multifaceted biotechnology initiative, the Biotechnology Incubator and BioBAT, which support early-stage and more mature biotech companies.