A 12-week University of Alabama at Birmingham trial found a ketogenic diet reduced a marker of strain in insulin-producing beta cells more than a low-fat plan, although longer studies are needed.
A small trial from the University of Alabama at Birmingham suggests that a ketogenic diet may do more than help people with type 2 diabetes lose weight. In research published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society, the diet was linked to a larger improvement in a marker of stress in insulin-producing beta cells than a low-fat eating plan, alongside signs of better cell function.
The study followed 51 adults with type 2 diabetes for about 12 weeks. Researchers compared a very low-carbohydrate, high-fat ketogenic diet with a low-fat diet, with both plans designed to keep weight broadly stable. In practice, participants in both groups lost some weight on average, but the ketogenic group showed a greater fall in the proportion of proinsulin released by the pancreas, a measure that can indicate how hard beta cells are working.
Proinsulin is the molecule the body converts into insulin, while C-peptide is released during that process. A higher proinsulin-to-C-peptide ratio can signal that beta cells are under strain and not processing insulin efficiently. According to the study report and related summaries, the improvement seen with the ketogenic diet was associated with better beta-cell performance, raising the possibility that carbohydrate restriction may ease pressure on the pancreas as well as influence blood sugar control.
Even so, the findings remain preliminary. The trial was small, short and involved people with relatively early type 2 diabetes, so the results may not apply in the same way to those with longer-standing disease or different medication needs. The researchers did not show that the diet cures diabetes or produces durable remission, and they stressed that longer studies are needed to determine whether the changes in laboratory measures translate into lasting clinical benefit.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
