Macro partitioning
All dietary approaches (low-carbohydrate, Mediterranean, Palaeolithic, Vegetarian, etc.) significantly reduce HbA1c and fasting glucose compared to a control diet in patients with type 2 diabetes.
If you have Type 2 Diabetes, switching from your current standard diet to any structured dietary approach—whether it's low-carb, Mediterranean, or high-protein—will significantly improve your blood sugar control (HbA1c and fasting glucose) compared to making no dietary changes. The specific type of diet matters less for the initial benefit than the act of adopting a structured, healthier eating pattern for at least 12 weeks.
The network analysis also revealed that all dietary approaches significantly reduce HbA1c (- 0.82 to - 0.47% reduction) and fasting glucose (- 1.61 to - 1.00 mmol/l reduction) compared to a control diet.
Why this rating
The study is a high-quality network meta-analysis of 56 RCTs, but the credibility of evidence was rated 'very low' to 'low' due to inconsistency and heterogeneity.
Source
A network meta-analysis on the comparative efficacy of different dietary approaches on glycaemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus
Lukas Schwingshackl et al. · European Journal of Epidemiology · 2018
DOI 10.1007/s10654-017-0352-x
More from this paper
- Low-Carbohydrate diets are more effective in reducing HbA1c in the short term (<12 months), in smaller studies, and in patients aged 60 years or older.Moderate
- The Low-Carbohydrate (LC) diet is ranked as the most effective approach for reducing HbA1c, while the Mediterranean diet is ranked as the most effective for reducing fasting glucose.Limited
Related findings · Macro partitioning
- Total daily protein intake of 1.6 g/kg/day is sufficient for maximizing resistance training-induced muscle gains, with an upper confidence interval of 2.2 g/kg/day.Strong
- Resistance exercise training combined with sufficient dietary protein intake acts synergistically to maximize skeletal muscle hypertrophy, with protein intake saturating around 1.6 g/kg/day for general populations and potentially requiring 2.0-2.2 g/kg/day for resistance-trained individuals.Strong
- Trans fats should be completely eliminated from the diet, as they increase LDL cholesterol, decrease HDL cholesterol, and are directly associated with increased coronary risk.Strong
This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →