An Australian study has found that low carbohydrate diets may increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the longer term.
A research team from Monash University followed over 39,000 participants from the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study for nearly 18 years.
The study revealed a 20% higher risk of type 2 diabetes for those consuming fewer carbohydrates.
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What was deemed a low carb diet?
In this study, a low carbohydrate diet was defined by calculating the proportion of daily energy intake from carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.
Participants with the lowest intake of carbohydrates consumed less than 38% of their daily energy from carbohydrates.
In contrast, those with the highest carbohydrate intake consumed around 55%.
The lower the intake of carbohydrates, the higher the proportion of fats and proteins in their diet.
Low carbohydrate diets are defined as consuming fewer than 130 grams of carbohydrates per day which represents roughly 26% of daily energy intake on a typical 2,000 calorie diet.
- What does 130g carbohydrates look like in a day?
- Speak to other people following a low carb diet in the Low Carb Forum
The study’s definition of low carb which was less than 38% of energy from carbohydrates which is somewhat higher than what is typically considered a low carb diet, suggesting that the study participants were not following traditional low carb or ketogenic diet regimens.
Obesity’s role in type 2 diabetes risk
The study found that the increased risk of type 2 diabetes was largely mediated by obesity.
The higher fat and protein intake associated with low carb diets – particularly from saturated fats – led to significant weight gain which in turn increased the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes.
In fact, 76% of the association between low carb diets and type 2 diabetes risk was explained by BMI.
The study has several limitations including use of self-reported dietary data that was over 15 years old and an adjusted intepretation of a low carbohydrate diet.
Low carb diets have proven short term benefits including weight loss and glycaemic control for people with type 2 diabetes.
Nonetheless, this research suggests that the eating approach may not be the best long-term strategy for preventing type 2 diabetes.
The study authors suggest that a more balanced diet that includes a healthy mix of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats such as the Mediterranean diet may be more beneficial in the long run.
The study calls for further clinical trials to explore the long term effects of low carbohydrate diets on type 2 diabetes risk.
Read the full study here.
