What science says about Atkins Diet / Low Carbs Diet For Diabetes

The Atkins diet for diabetes is a highly debatable topic. Many medical and healthcare experts support this diet as believe it can help in treating and reversing diabetes by controlling glucose levels in the blood.

Many researches and medical evidences are available to reinforce these claims. There are also many success stories published all over the internet that support this.

However, on the other hand, there’s a strong resistance from many medical doctors against following this diet. The main arguments used against the low carbs diet are: 1- diet long term effects are still not clearly known yet; 2- the low carbs diet is not healthy; and 3- not much research is available to support this.  

As such, many doctors still prefer to prescribe drugs. Nevertheless, it is interesting to see that when the drugs fail to treat diabetes, many do suggest following the low carbs diet as a last line of defense.

Opinion in favor of following the Atkins diet for diabetes:

Supporters of the Atkins diet to treat diabetes believe that consuming less carbs while focusing on fat and proteins intake, is highly beneficial. Accordingly, the low carbs diet can help in controlling blood sugar levels, regulating insulin, and promoting weight loss. Hence, it helps in treating and even curing diabetes.

There are also many success stories and medical evidences available all over the internet to support these claims.
Some published studies have also supported the fact that a low-carbohydrate diet like the Atkins diet has beneficial effects on type 2 diabetes. 

For instance, a study titled “Low-carbohydrate diet in type 2 diabetes: stable improvement of bodyweight and glycemic control during 44 months follow-up” showed that following a low-carb diet had beneficial effects such as reduced body weight and glycemic control as compared to a regular carbohydrate diet.

These changes were maintained for over 3 years while following this type of diet.

Opinion against following the Atkins diet for diabetes:

On the other hand, opponents of the Atkins diet for diabetes do not believe that a low-carbohydrate diet is beneficial for treating or reversing the condition. They also warn patients about the possible risks of developing hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) that can cause injuries, coma, and can be even fatal.

In addition, eliminating an entire food group is not something healthy to follow and should not be recommended, especially since the long-term effects of this diet are still unknown. Plus, they do not agree with the fact that all carbohydrates are labeled as bad, because some are very healthy such as vegetables.

Opponents of the Atkins diet for diabetes also argue that not many studies are available to reinforce the claims that the diet is beneficial for diabetes. They state that more studies and evidence are needed to prove this. In addition, they do have concerns about the long-term effects of this diet.

A study titled “Comparative Study of the Effects of a 1-year Dietary Intervention of a Low-Carbohydrate Diet Versus a Low-Fat Diet on Weight and Glycemic Control n Type 2 Diabetes” showed similar effects on blood glucose levels and weight loss after 1 year. Hence, this suggests that a low carbs diet has no real effects on diabetes and weight loss. 

Supporters of the Atkins diet for diabetes raise concerns about the credibility of these studies made against the low carbs diet for diabetes. In response, Dr. Eric Berg provides evidence showing that medical companies are financing these studies, and they are the ones behind these claims to protect their business interests and keep selling diabetes drugs.