July 9, 2020

People with diabetes often wonder what they can eat and what they should avoid and given the number of food trends and diets, it can be a little overwhelming.

Obesity and type 2 diabetes are becoming a common phenomenon and evidence suggest excess calorie intake and over-consumption of refined carbs are key drivers of this epidemic.

Last year, in 2019, The American Diabetes Association recommended a low carb lifestyle as an option to lower blood sugar in an effective manner. A few months before that, Diabetes UK and Diabetes Australia published reports that also suggested low carb diets for people with diabetes. Now, in a recent paper that Diabetes Canada published, they recognize the role of low carb diet in managing type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

Earlier, in 2018, Diabetes Canada recommendations maintained that people with diabetes should have 45-60% of their daily total energy from carbs. Now, after studying latest evidence from different sources, Diabetes Canada has recognized low carb diets (<130g carbs/day) or very low carb diets (<50g carbs/day) can be considered by people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes to maintain weight and lower blood sugar levels.

The paper also highlights that very low-carb diets may be superior to higher-carb diets for improving glycemic control, body weight and can reduce the need for medications in the short term (up to 12 months). More research is needed to determine the long term effects of low-carb diets for diabetes.

It is important for people to switch to a low-carb diet in consultation with their healthcare provider to properly manage insulin, medications, and any concerns on hypoglycemia while being on a low-carb diet. The overall conclusion still favours a healthy low-carb diet as an effective option to manage type 1 and type 2 diabetes for weight loss, improved glycemic control and/or to reduce the need for antihyperglycemic therapies.

At Love Good Fats, we are excited by this advancement by Diabetes Canada. Having a range of low carb bars and shakes with 1-2g of sugar, we are thrilled that our ridiculously delicious products can be considered as a low-carb snack option for people with diabetes.

(Source: Diabetes Canada Position Statement on Low-Carbohydrate Diets for Adults With Diabetes: A Rapid Review)