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Review
. 2021;30(3):223-235.
doi: 10.1159/000512142. Epub 2020 Oct 9.

Efficacy of Low-Carbohydrate Ketogenic Diet in the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes

Hussain M Dashti  1 , Thazhumpal C Mathew  2 , Naji S Al-Zaid  3
Affiliations
Review

Efficacy of Low-Carbohydrate Ketogenic Diet in the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes

Hussain M Dashti et al. Med Princ Pract. 2021.

Abstract

Low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet (LCKD), originally used as a treatment for childhood epilepsy is currently gaining acceptance as a nutritional therapy for obesity and type 2 diabetes. In addition, this diet has a positive effect on body weight, blood glucose level, glycosylated hemoglobin, plasma lipid profile, and neurological disorders. This review focuses on the therapeutic effectiveness, negative effects, and the rationale of using LCKD for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. It is shown that LCKD contributes to the reduction in the intake of insulin and oral antidiabetic drugs in patients with type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, the data presented in this review reveal the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of LCKD in the management of type 2 diabetes.

Keywords: HbA1c; Low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet; Obesity; Type 2 diabetes.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Changes in the level of blood glucose (a), body weight (b), total cholesterol (c), level of HDL (d), LDL (e), and triglycerides (f) after the administration of ketogenic diet for 56 weeks [27]. HDL, high-density lipoprotein; LDL, low-density lipoprotein.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Changes in blood glucose (a) and glycosylated hemoglobin (b) level in diabetic and nondiabetic subjects after the administration of a low-calorie diet or a LCKD for 24 weeks. Black circles, ketogenic and nondiabetic; black triangles, ketogenic and diabetic; white circles, low calorie and nondiabetic; white triangles, low calorie and diabetic[33]. LCKD, low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Effect of normal diet, high-carbohydrate diet, and LCKD on blood glucose level (mg/dL) in control and diabetic rats in the pre-fed experiments. The values are mean ± SEM (n = 42; [36]). LCKD, low-carbohydate ketogenic diet.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Effect of normal diet, high-carbohydrate diet, and LCKD on body weight in control and diabetic rats in the pre-fed (protective) experiment. The values are mean ± SEM (n = 42; [36]). LCKD, low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet.
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Effect of different diets: normal diet, high-carbohydrate diet, and LCKD on blood glucose level (mg/dL) in control and diabetic rats in the post-fed experiments. The values are mean ± SEM (n = 42; [35]). LCKD, low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet.
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Effect of different diets: normal diet, high-carbohydrate diet, and LCKD on body weight in control and diabetic rats. The values are mean ± SEM (n = 42; [35]). LCKD, low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet.
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
Micrographs showing the ultrastructure of the mitochondria of rat cardiac muscle of an adult rat that was fed normal rat chow (a) and one that was fed with LCKD (b). There is an increase in the number of mitochondria in rats fed with low-carbohydrate diet. Scale bar, 1 µm [34]. LCKD, low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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