Following a Low Carbohydrate, High Fat Diet Compared to Reduced Calorie, High Carbohydrate Diet as a Nutritional Intervention in Type Two Diabetes Mellitus Patients: A Systematic Review

Abstract

There is evidence supporting individuals with type 2 diabetes benefit from lifestyle changes through a nutrition intervention that improves diabetic (blood glucose and HgbA1c) and cardiovascular (total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, and triglycerides) biomarkers. The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate if patients with type 2 diabetes following a low carbohydrate, high fat eating pattern is more effective than following a reduced caloric, high carbohydrate eating pattern in the improvement of diabetic (blood glucose and HgbA1c) and cardiovascular (total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, and triglycerides) biomarkers. A literature search was conducted on peer-reviewed research trials registered in PubMed, from January 2007 to September 2019 using combinations of the search terms: Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 AND Diet, Ketogenic; OR Diet, Carbohydrate-Restricted. The literature was analyzed in chronological order; grouping in four year increments from 2007 to 2019. The thirty-six articles reviewed provide evidence to support the use of a low carbohydrate diet in patients with type 2 diabetes versus a reduced caloric diet. This systematic review highlighted diabetic (HgbA1c and fasting blood glucose) and cardiovascular biomarkers (HDL) of type 2 diabetic patients improve significantly when following a low-carbohydrate, high fat diet versus a reduced calorie, high carbohydrate intake.