Here Is How Functional Medicine Can Address the Root Cause of Diabetics

It is well established that a high-starch, low-fiber diet increases the risk of type 2 diabetes. Even with this fact, conventional health experts continue to recommend a high-carbohydrate diet for type 2 diabetics to achieve better results. Despite such foot-dragging, a growing body of scientific research indicates that low-carbohydrate diets are superior to high-carbohydrate diets for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Importantly, the definition of a “low-carbohydrate diet” varied across the studies included in the review; had the definition been stricter, a greater beneficial effect might have been observed. Several large-scale studies have compared the effectiveness of low-carb diets with high-carb diets to treat diabetes. In these studies, low-carb diets consistently outperform high-carb diets for the management of type 2 diabetes. Low-carb diets produce more significant improvements in blood sugar stability and lipid profiles and significantly reduce the need for medications. (4)

You might ask, how much do you need to reduce your carbohydrate intake to effectively manage type 2 diabetes? While the answer to this question would vary for different individuals, I generally advise that those with blood sugar regulation problems benefit from limiting carb intake to 10 to 15 percent of total calories. Beyond modifying the quantity of carb you take, you also need to change the quality of the carb you consume. Instead of consuming more refined carbohydrates such as bread and pasta, you should replace this with a moderate amount of starchy tubers (such as beets, sweet potatoes, and rutabaga), whole fruits, plantains, and a little bit of full-fat dairy if your body can handle it. (5)