Are low carb diets any good?

[Praveen55]

Low-carb diets could reduce diabetes, heart disease and stroke risk even if people DON'T lose weight by cutting down on bread, potatoes and pasta

dailymail.co.uk/health/arti...

[BridgeGirl]

Good to see that in the mainstream press. The message is getting out

[Praveen55 Star in reply to BridgeGirl]

Yes, message is getting out and is being accepted. Currently, there are more than 400,000

members in Low Carb Programme run by diabetes.co.uk. It is highly successful programme. NHS is now referring patients with pre-diabetes, type 2 diabetes and obesity to join this programme. Many eminent experts are conducting this programme, like Dr David Unwin.

[BridgeGirl in reply to Praveen55]

Sadly, GPs are also spending NHS money on Weight Watchers and Slimming World

I suppose a critical mass of good sense (and science) will build up over time, but sooner would be better than later

[Cooper27 Administrator]

I saw the same story in the Sun, but really when you read beyond the headline, it's that cutting back on the wrong type of carbs reduces risk (aka, sugar, bread, crisps).

I'm of the opinion that when people talk about cutting carbs though, they are talking about pasta, cake and bead anyway though, and not necessarily carrots and baked potatoes! So hopefully it will help encourage people to do that.

[Praveen55 Star in reply to Cooper27]

Indeed, it is about eliminating/reducing the wrong type of carbs. Vegetables provide essential vitamins and minerals and therefore they need to be included in daily diets.

Regarding baked potatoes, it depends on the person's metabolic conditions. For example, persons with pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes, should avoid potatoes altogether. Others with healthy metabolic conditions can include them in their diet.

[Cooper27 Administrator in reply to Praveen55]

Interesting, thanks. The article does say moderate-low carb, in this instance, so that would hopefully allow the odd baked potato on the weekend.

[BridgeGirl in reply to Cooper27]

I think the problem is we've been given the impression for decades that a baked potato is "healthy eating" so it becomes a staple lunch for many, rather than the odd one at a weekend (tho', as Praveen says, even the odd one is inappropriate for any one with, or approaching, type 2 diabetes).

[Cooper27 Administrator]

Well in terms of carb load, perhaps, but in terms of not being ultra-processed, I imagine it's better for you.

[Want2BHappy3]

Only thw complex ones. And even with those you have to be careful

[Fran182716 Prediabetic]

The study itself doesn’t seem particularly rigorous, small number of participants and they only tried each diet for two weeks. It doesn’t say exactly what their diet was like before so the only variable they eliminated was weight loss, but it’s a good starting point for a more thorough study.

I do find it interesting though as it echoes my n=1 experience. My diet would probably fall closest to their moderate carb diet and in 5 months I have lost 26 lb and my blood sugars have gone from prediabetic to back in the healthy range. What is really positive for me personally is that now added sugars and low fibre starches are permanently off the table if I want to keep my blood sugars where they are, I’ve gone without them long enough for any cravings either physiological or psychological to disappear. I’m enjoying what I eat and I never go to bed hungry or unsatisfied. For the first time in many years I’m confident I will actually lose all the weight I need to (14 lb left to go) instead of stalling from diet fatigue or stress eating.

[Praveen55 Star in reply to Fran182716]

Great achievement, Fran182716 ! Keep it up.

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate that switching to low carb alone results in improvement in metabolic health without even losing weight. This resonates very well with my own experience and of thousands of others'. The post-meal blood sugar drops from the first low carb meal itself which contributes to drop in HbA1c with time.

This is a very efficient approach to resolve/reverse early diabetes issues and to reduce medications/insulin for those who are at a advanced stage of type 2 diabetes.

[Vacyone]

I thankfully don’t have any ions related to carbs,but I do tryo follow a lower carb diet. It does Kemp weight I check, to jus a devil to keep up with

[Vacyone]

My iPad keeps sticking,won’t write properly so,last message was gobbledygook

[Ouanne in reply to Vacyone]

Try removing your previous posts, usually works for me.

[Penel]

Yes, worked for my husband who was on his way to type 2. His blood markers and BP improved before he started losing any weight. He went very low carb to get things under control, and is now eating moderately low carb.

[Ssasqueen]

I did low carb diet a few years ago lost lots of weight and surprisingly gained more energy. Eventually though pizza and sandwiches came back into our lives and we put weight back on. This time I’m eating good whole grain carbs and am not losing weight as fast but feel it is more sustainable in my usual routine.

[Praveen55 Star in reply to Ssasqueen]

Everyone has got a carb tolerance limit beyond which body starts promoting fat storage. We should find our carb tolerance limit by experimenting and then not exceed that amount of carb. That way we can maintain the body at desired weight. Yes, we may have to sacrifice some favourite foods in the process. But that does not mean we can never eat them. Once in a while we can eat the forbidden foods also.

[Fran182716 Prediabetic in reply to Praveen55]

Haha yes forbidden foods once in a while. I’m going to have one ice cream this whole summer - when I’m on holiday (will be Wales or Cornwall) - and it has to be a really special one, the real deal made with actual cream!

[andyswarbs]

Another dairy funded short-term study. Come on please report on reputable research. I note you don't report the original research, prefering to go for that most reputable resource "the daily Mail," one that relies on advertising from the dairy industry!

Here's the research for anyone with any interest in the truth.

insight.jci.org/articles/vi...

FUNDING. Dairy Management Inc. and the Dutch Dairy Association.

What kind of answer do you actually expect from a seriously skewed study!

Please can we have studies lasting more than just 16 weeks at least! PLEASE!!! I mean what is 16 weeks in the context of a lifetime! I think you can prove anything you want in such a short space of time. Let's have this same study running over say 5 years. Then it's results might be worth studying.

The fact that so many people are following completely rubbish research like this and that it gets reported and reported and reported, does make it good research. It just means people get swallowed up into self-harming.

I consider this "research" rubbish from another angle. It talks about nutrients with no detail about how those nutrient levels are achieved. I mean if I eat a whole banana vs equivalent amount of sugar that has a very different impact on the body. A good study should provide details the foods consumed.

PS: I note also that diabetes.co.uk avoid declaring the complete diary bias in the study.

PPS: How long will it be before the dairy industry puts out another study showing utter rubbish? Probably about a month. No doubt that will be reported widely in exactly the same way.

[Praveen55 Star in reply to andyswarbs]

andyswarbs

This seems to be quite well controlled study as compared to many of the larger studies which depend on what participants report about their dietary intakes based on their memories which tend to be quite misleading.

Keeping research methodologies aside, do you think reducing carb intake e.g. from 400 gm to 200 gm in the diets of metabolically impaired people is unhealthy? There is good general awareness about the quality of carb. Therefore, people do understand difference between e.g. 20 gm table sugar and same amount of carb from fruits or vegetables.

[andyswarbs in reply to Praveen55]

My main complaint is about the short term-ism. The closer you get to a laboratory environment, although it is much easier to create a better controlled study, the downside is you get further from reality. For example if you have a relatively small number of participants you can pre-select these in subtle ways to skew the results to show you want to demonstrate.

Human beings and society are such complex animals that society level studies that come up with similar stories year after year, decade after decade must tell you something.

[Praveen55 Star in reply to andyswarbs]

I think you are raising an important issue here. According to you, we need to conduct studies on large populations for a long term to confirm if reducing carbohydrate consumption from 400 gm/day to 200 gm/day or say even 50 gm in some cases for people with impaired metabolism will be beneficial or harmful. Until then, let such people continue with their suffering . With the current knowledge of nutritions and diets, we are not able to formulate healthy diets for metabolically impaired people. Right?

What are your thoughts on this - reducing carb from 400 gm to 200 gm for people with impaired metabolism? Is it going to be harmful and should not be encouraged?

[Cooper27 Administrator]

Do you know, that's the first time I've seen TOFI written down - I've only ever heard people talk about it, and wondered what TOFFEES have to do with being skinny-fat makes a lot more sense now!