Research
Energy balance
Restriction of carbohydrate to 50–130 g per day had beneficial effects on HbA1c in trials up to 6 months.
Low-carbohydrate diets may be beneficial for glycaemic control in the short term for Type 2 diabetes.
StrongSupportsmedium confidence
A subgroup analysis of diets containing 50–130 g carbohydrate resulted in a pooled effect estimate of –0.49% [95% CI –0.75, –0.23 ( P <0.001); I 2 0% ( P = 0.56)], suggesting a clinically and statistically significant effect on HbA 1c in favour of low‐carbohydrate diets in studies of ≤6 months’ duration.
Why this rating
Based on a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Source
Carbohydrate restriction for glycaemic control in Type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Paul McArdle et al. · Diabetic Medicine · 2018
DOI 10.1111/dme.13862
Meta-analysisCited 62×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
Related findings · Energy balance
- Achieving a total body weight loss of 10-15% (or >10-15 kg) through Total Diet Replacement (TDR) induces remission of Type 2 Diabetes in individuals with short-duration disease.Strong
- Bariatric surgery is superior to medical management alone for inducing significant long-term weight loss, remission of type 2 diabetes, and reduction in mortality for patients with BMI ≥ 40 or ≥ 35 with comorbidities.Strong
- Achieving type 2 diabetes remission requires significant weight loss (≥15 kg) via major caloric restriction, independent of macronutrient composition.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 →