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| A diet rich in soy and whey protein, found in products such as soy milk and low-fat yogurt, has been shown to reduce breast cancer incidence in rats. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
In a recent study published in the annals of internal medicine, researchers from Italy followed 215 patients who were overweight and found that a low carbohydrate diet (called the mediterranean diet which obtained less than 50% of calories from carbohydrates) was superior for the control of glucose levels in type 2 diabetics.
Unfortunately this study did not have an index of the degree of atherosclerosis present in both groups. This would have been helpful as low carbohydrate diets have recently been found to increases the risk of atherosclerosis despite improvements in cholesterol levels. This risk has been postulated to be based on inability to repair damage caused during the process of atherosclerosis. It seems that carbohydrates may be needed to jump start the repair process in normal people.
The finding however will directly impact patients with type 2 diabetes where glucose control is directly linked to retinal damage kidney damage, nerve damage and cardiovascular risk. Patients will also derive benefit from the weightloss which occurs which will directly result in reduced resistance to their own endogenous insulin levels.
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