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Review
. 2018 Oct 17;18(12):128.
doi: 10.1007/s11892-018-1103-4.

Fat Versus Carbohydrate-Based Energy-Restricted Diets for Weight Loss in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes

Osama Hamdy  1 , Mhd Wael Tasabehji  2 , Taha Elseaidy  2 , Shaheen Tomah  2 , Sahar Ashrafzadeh  2 , Adham Mottalib  2   3
Affiliations
Review

Fat Versus Carbohydrate-Based Energy-Restricted Diets for Weight Loss in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes

Osama Hamdy et al. Curr Diab Rep. .

Abstract

Purpose of review: The prevalence of combined obesity and diabetes has increased dramatically in the last few decades. Although medical and surgical weight management are variably effective in addressing this epidemic, it is essential to parallel these strategies with a hypocaloric diet comprising the appropriate macronutrient composition to induce weight loss, enhance glycemic control, and improve cardiovascular risk factors. This review reports the current evidence of the role of carbohydrates and fat-based diets for weight management in patients with combined type 2 diabetes (T2D) and obesity.

Recent findings: Low-carbohydrate diets were shown to decrease postprandial glucose levels whereas high-carbohydrate, low-fat diets are considered cardio-protective. A diet with an optimal macronutrient composition remains uncertain for patients with combined T2D and obesity. Further research is still needed to define the best dietary composition that achieves the maximum benefits on weight management, glycemic control, and cardiovascular risk factors.

Keywords: High-carbohydrate diet; High-fat diet; Ketogenic diet; Low-carbohydrate diet; Obesity; Type 2 diabetes; Weight management.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest

Osama Hamdy reports being a consultant for Merck Inc., Abbott Nutrition, and Sanofi Aventis; grants from the National Dairy Council; being on the advisory board for AstraZeneca; and being a stockholder for Healthimation Inc.

Mhd Wael Tasabehji, Taha Elseaidy, Shaheen Tomah, Sahar Ashrafzadeh, and Adham Mottalib declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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