Macro partitioning
Very-Low-Carbohydrate Diets (VLCDs, <10% energy or 20-50g carbs) produce significantly greater weight loss than standard Low-Carbohydrate Diets (LCDs) or Low-Fat Diets (LFDs) in T2DM patients.
If you are willing to restrict carbohydrates to 20-50 grams per day (less than 10% of your calories), you can expect significantly more weight loss (nearly 9.5 kg more than low-fat diets) than with standard low-carb or low-fat approaches. This is the most effective dietary strategy for weight loss in T2DM patients identified in this review, though maintaining such strict limits long-term is challenging.
Interestingly, the reduction in body weight tended to be greater in the subgroup that used VLCD (WMD = -9.49 kg; 95% CI: -12.88, -6.09, P < 0.00001).
Why this rating
Derived from subgroup analysis of the same 12 RCTs.
Source
Comparing the Efficacy and Safety of Low-Carbohydrate Diets with Low-Fat Diets for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials
Shunhua Li et al. · International Journal of Endocrinology · 2021
DOI 10.1155/2021/8521756
More from this paper
- Low-carbohydrate diets (LCDs) are superior to low-fat diets (LFDs) for improving glycemic control (HbA1c) and reducing body weight in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) patients, with benefits persisting for up to 1.5 years for HbA1c and 2 years for HDL-C, though weight loss benefits diminish after 2 years.Good
- Low-carbohydrate diets improve cardiovascular risk factors (Triglycerides and HDL-C) compared to low-fat diets in T2DM patients, with benefits for HDL-C persisting up to 2 years.Good
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