This bit of new research shows correlation between low carbohydrate diets and poor glucose control.
BACKGROUND: Persons with type 1 diabetes have received widely varying dietary advice based on putative effects on glycemic control.
OBJECTIVE: The objective was to determine whether diet composition was associated with subsequent glycated hemoglobin (Hb A1c) concentrations during intensive therapy for type 1 diabetes.
DESIGN: We examined associations between quantiles of dietary intake and Hb A1c adjusted for age and sex in 532 intensively treated participants in the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) who had complete dietary data through 5 y of follow-up. Multivariate macronutrient density linear regression models tested the association of Hb A1c at year 5 with macronutrient composition and were adjusted for age, sex, exercise, triglyceride concentration, body mass index (BMI), baseline Hb A1c, and concurrent insulin dose.
RESULTS: Higher insulin dose, lower carbohydrate intake, and higher saturated, monounsaturated, and total fat intakes were associated with higher Hb A1c concentrations at year 5. In age- and sex-adjusted multivariate macronutrient models, substitution of fat for carbohydrate was associated with higher Hb A1c concentrations (P = 0.01); this relation remained significant after adjustment for exercise level, serum triglycerides, and BMI (P = 0.02) but was no longer significant (P = 0.1) after adjustment for baseline Hb A1c and concurrent insulin dose.
CONCLUSION: Among intensively treated patients with type 1 diabetes, diets higher in fat and saturated fat and lower in carbohydrate are associated with worse glycemic control, independent of exercise and BMI.
So it looks like low carb diets are sometimes good for type 2, but not so good for type 1. Great news for those of you like me who LOVE my carbs. :)
Phew - that's a relief. Tho' I have a friend who is on a low-carb diet (she keeps on going on about Dr. Richard Bernstein). Anyway, she swears by low-carb - and maintains a constant 5.1 A1C. She injects frequently - with about 4 different insulins - and tests her blood on average of 18 times a day. Hmmm, I wonder if she has any fun inbetween - constantly worrying about what her BG is doing at the time. She does not eat fruit - and if she eats carbs - it's low carb bread (does it taste like bread??) - and will not touch rice as it spikes her blood sugar to high - and if she eats pasta it's a treat. I do not think I could eat this way. I'm like Gina - like my carbs.
Anyway, it works for her - she's happy - tho' I do freak her out sometimes with the things that I eat (e.g. carrot cake). She cringes at the amount of carbs in that (only 35g for a small piece - and that's with cream cheese icing).
We're all different with how we handle our diabetes - I guess I follow the ADA rule of thumb for eating.
Yeah...definitely an "everyone is different" situation. I cut my carbs to less than 40 grams per day, mostly in the form of fruits and vegetables. My BG rarely goes above 120 and rarely goes below 90. I cut my insulin dosage by about 70 percent. I lost weight and, combined with exercise, have developed really good muscle tone.
Low-carb has been a godsend for me. I'd never push it on anyone else, because like you said, everyone is different.
I haven't read Bernstein yet...I want to pick up his book.
Dude, how did you cut your carbs so low?? I love food especially since now I am trying to put back on muscle mass. However, I have to take-in more carbs/protein for that. Also, are you on the pump? I am curious how you keep your BG under such tight control? I guess if you are not eating Carbs that would explain it.
I think the keyword here is "fat." Maybe fat is the main culprit. Low carbs? I doubt it. Once again, maybe low SIMPLE carbs. The best diet for a diabetic is one that is low in fat, especially the saturated kind, and low in simple carbs. No matter what, more study is needed, Mad Evans, before such conclusions can be drawn.
I never really missed the carbs. Lots of steak, other meats, veggies, fruits and nuts. Without the carbs, my BG just doesn't go up. I'm on a pump, and my basal rate is about .6 Units per hour....that keeps the BG normal. I might bolus one or two units if I eat a meal with fruit or a high carb vegetable.
Actually...if you want to watch a video that will knock your socks off, check out this lecture that Gary Taubes did at UC Berkeley a couple of years ago. He makes a very strong case that refined carbs are THE prime cause of obesity and all of the metabolic diseases that have arisen in the last century. I read his book after I watched the lecture...he makes an incredibly compelling case.