Research

Macro partitioning

In Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes, a higher percentage of total energy intake from carbohydrates (>60%) is positively correlated with elevated glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels, suggesting that limiting carbohydrate intake to below 60% of total energy may improve glycemic control.

If you have type 2 diabetes, aim to keep your carbohydrate intake to less than 60% of your total daily energy. This study of Japanese patients found that eating more than 60% of your calories from carbohydrates was linked to higher blood sugar levels (HbA1c), even when total calories were controlled. You don't need to eliminate carbs, but avoiding excessive amounts may help you manage your blood sugar better.

ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
The dietary carbohydrate:energy ratio has a positive correlation with HbA1c, suggesting that avoiding excessive carbohydrate intake (>60%) might help foster glycemic control.
Tadashi Yamakawa et al. · Journal of Diabetes Investigation · 2018

Why this rating

The study is a large cross-sectional observational study (n=3,032) with strong statistical significance (P<0.0001) but cannot establish causality due to its cross-sectional design.

Source

Dietary survey in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes and the influence of dietary carbohydrate on glycated hemoglobin: The Sleep and Food Registry in Kanagawa study

Tadashi Yamakawa et al. · Journal of Diabetes Investigation · 2018

cross_sectional · n=3032Cited 17×
Read the paper

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 →