A four year study conducted on 215 type 2 diabetic patients by a team led by Dr. Dario Giugliano, from the Second University of Naples, Italy has established that a low-carbohydrate, Mediterranean-style diet is more effective than a typical low-fat, calorie-restricted diet for diabetes management.Not only did the Mediterranean diet lead to greater weight loss, it also resulted in better blood sugar control, delayed the need for blood sugar-lowering medication, and improved some heart disease risk factors, the study team found.
Mediterranean-style eating generally means plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, limited amounts of red meat and processed foods, and a relatively high amount of fat from olive oil and nuts and few carbohydrates. A typical low-fat diet advises cutting down on all types of dietary fat.
In addition, significantly greater increases in “good” HDL-cholesterol levels and greater decreases in harmful blood fats called triglycerides were seen in the Mediterranean diet group and these heart-healthy benefits were maintained for the duration of the study.
Source: Reuters Health
