RDs know how powerful nutrition therapy can be for managing  diabetes 
and lowering the risk of its associated long-term complications. Since  
type 2 diabetes is characterized by elevated blood sugar levels caused 
by  impaired insulin sensitivity, eventually accompanied by insufficient
 pancreatic  insulin production, it seems intuitive that controlling 
dietary carbohydrates,  the main nutrient that directly influences 
glycemia, would be a logical dietary  approach for diabetes management.
For that reason, low-carbohydrate diets have constituted the  standard 
treatment for type 2 diabetes for centuries. Since the advent of  
insulin-sensitizing drugs and oral hypoglycemic agents, however, 
nutritional  guidelines have evolved and the current diet for diabetes 
now is relatively  high in carbohydrates. But could some patients and 
clients with type 2 diabetes  benefit from adopting a lower-carbohydrate
 approach?
The Duke study also showed potential of low-carb diets to  optimize 
glycemic control.2 Although both diets in the study resulted in  
significant improvements, hemoglobin A1c decreased more in the low-carb 
group  compared with the low-glycemic group (-1.5% vs. -0.5%), 
independent of weight  loss. Within the study period, almost all 
subjects in the low-carb group  (95.2%) reduced or eliminated their 
diabetes medications compared with only 62%  in the low-glycemic group.
Dietitians now can offer low-carb diets as an option for  their clients 
with type 2 diabetes, helping them focus on nutrient-rich foods  to 
ensure nutritional adequacy. Working in concert with physicians also is 
 important to allow timely adjustments of medications, especially 
insulin, oral  hypoglycemic agents, and hypotensive medications, and the
 regular monitoring of  the health risk profile.
Full article here. 
2 comments:
If only they all had the freedom to recommend lowcarb to their clients.
Its good news that so many are now speaking out about it. I look forward to the day a lowcarb diet has, at least, an equal footing with the Gi diet in the information given to the newly diagnosed.
Kath
It is good news that more dietitians are willing to talk and recommend more freely. Still room to grow.
Kate
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