Hormonal
A ketogenic diet is more effective than low-fat diets for improving glycemic control (HbA1c and HOMA-IR) in patients with type 2 diabetes, but shows comparable effects in non-diabetic patients.
If you have type 2 diabetes and are overweight, switching to a ketogenic diet (very low carb, high fat) is likely to improve your blood sugar control more effectively than a standard low-fat diet. If you do not have diabetes, the blood sugar benefits are similar to low-fat diets, though weight loss may still be superior.
The effects of ketogenic diets on glycemic control were greater for diabetic patients relative to those of low-fat diets, indicated by lower glycated hemoglobin (SMD, −0.62; p < 0.001) and homeostatic model assessment index (SMD, −0.29; p = 0.02), while comparable effects were observed for nondiabetic patients.
Why this rating
Meta-analysis of 14 RCTs with moderate quality evidence for HbA1c/HOMA in diabetics.
Source
Impact of a Ketogenic Diet on Metabolic Parameters in Patients with Obesity or Overweight and with or without Type 2 Diabetes: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Yeo Jin Choi et al. · Nutrients · 2020
DOI 10.3390/nu12072005
More from this paper
- A ketogenic diet leads to greater weight loss compared to low-fat diets in patients with overweight or obesity, regardless of diabetes status.Good
- In non-diabetic patients, a ketogenic diet increases LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol compared to low-fat diets, whereas in diabetic patients, it improves lipid profiles by lowering triglycerides and raising HDL.Moderate
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