Can You Eat A Low Carb Diet To Reverse Diabetes?
If you have been searching the web for a while you have likely come across articles sharing evidence on how a low carb diet can reverse diabetes.
The main argument most make for a low carbohydrate diet is that carbohydrates raise the blood sugar. Which is accurate.
There are three nutrients that make up all of our food. These three nutrients are protein, fat, and carbohydrates, aka our macronutrients. Out of the three macronutrients, carbohydrates will raise the blood sugar more than any other. But this DOES NOT mean we should cut them out of the diet.
Why? Well, let me explain.
There are many reasons a low carbohydrate diet is not an effective treatment for those with diabetes but I am going to cover the three biggest reasons:
A low carbohydrate diet increases insulin resistance
A low carbohydrate diet increases gluconeogenesis
A low carbohydrate diet increases Neuropeptide Y
Yes, those are some big fancy words… but let me break it down for ya!
A Low carb diet increases insulin resistance
In the beginning, a low carb diet can work AMAZINGLY. At first, it’s easy to skip the toast in the morning and swap it for a nice avocado (or bacon). You may notice your blood sugar is starting to lower. “Finally! A diet I can enjoy!” runs through your head.
BUT this doesn’t last…
Not because you start to get upset every time you have to pass on pasta night…(You can’t convince yourself that zucchini noodles are just as good FOREVER) But you also notice your numbers are slowing starting to creep up…
That’s because over time, insulin resistance kicks in. When carbs are cut or decreased in the diet, fat intake increases. That high fat diet increases insulin resistance and soon, those blood sugar numbers will be harder and harder to lower.
It's sort of like climbing Everest. It's easy to climb to the first base camp. It's still sunny, there is oxygen, there is plenty of supplies. But it gets more and more difficult as you keep climbing towards the top. And that last climb to the summit is where most people fail…
It's easy to lower the blood sugar with a low carb diet in the beginning. Continue to keep those numbers to stay down is nearly impossible.
A high fat diet increases insulin resistance (1, 2, 3, 4, 5). This is not to say that a low fat diet is the way to go! It is important to find the RIGHT balance of our macronutrients.
Reason #1 to quit the low carb life —> low carb diets increase insulin resistance.
A low carb diet increases gluconeogenesis
Gluco-neo-WHAT? Gluconeogensis is a fancy word that means the body, mostly liver, will make glucose when there is none in the diet.
Have you ever noticed your blood sugar is high even after avoiding carbs? It’s because of liver…
The liver is like a bank account, it likes having some $$ in it. But what happens when we run low on $$ and go to pay for a fancy dinner… BOOM you have a large overdraft fee.
This is what’s happening in our liver with gluconeogenesis.
The body likes having some carbohydrates available…But when it runs low BOOM the liver causes our blood sugar to rise like crazy (6, 7). Just like those dang overdraft fees.
This is not as big of a problem for someone who does not have insulin resistance. If the body makes glucose, insulin will open the cell up and allow that glucose to enter it. If the cell is resistant to the insulin, it will not open up to move the glucose from the blood into the cell, leading to a rise in the blood glucose (aka blood sugar).
Reason # 2 to quit the low carb life —> a low carb diet increases gluconeogenesis.
A low carb diet increases Neuropeptide Y
Throwing another big fancy word your way… let me introduce you to neuropeptide Y!
Neuropeptide Y is a peptide that is released into our brain that drives our urge to eat surgery foods. It is increased when there are little to no carbohydrates in the diet (8, 9, 10).
This hormone is considered one of the most potent hormones that control our appetite.
—> It increases our urge to eat carbohydrate-rich meals
—> It delays our satiety...making us eat more until we feel satisfied
—> And makes us hungrier faster...even after having just eaten a meal (HELLO after-dinner snacking…)
And you can’t fight biology with willpower…
It’s kind of like trying to stay awake. You can try to stay awake for 24, 48, or even 72 hours. But over time the body will produce more sleepy chemicals and hormones…Until you eventually fall asleep.
This is similar to how neuropeptide Y works. Under-eating and restricting carbohydrates drives neuropeptide Y into acition, causing the body to see out carbohydrates.
Leading us to feel out of control when we do find ourselves near some delicious carbs.
Good luck trying to get past the body’s survival mechanisms…
Will a low carbohydrate diet reverse diabetes?
That is the question that started this post. The answer is no.
Our bodies have been evolving for millions of years to stay alive in all kinds of situations. Our bodies need carbohydrates to survive. Yes, even people with type II diabetes need carbohydrates to survive.
A low carbohydrate diet:
Increases insulin resistance
Increases gluconeogenesis
Increases neuropeptide Y
All of these survival mechanisms lead to high blood sugar and increased cravings over time on a low carbohydrate diet.
If you are ready to ditch the low carb life, check out our free training.
In the training, we share the three-step system our clients use to reduce their A1c by 30% without cutting out carbohydrates. Just CLICK HERE for the free training.
