Can a low-carb diet plan save you? Why you should try it for your health

On our long list of New Year’s resolutions, many choose to work on improving their health. It could be in terms of weight loss or gain, fitting in a certain sized clothing, building muscle, increasing step count, committing to regular exercise, and so on. 

All of the above-mentioned goals have to do with maintaining & polishing our health and a key component in achieving that is our diet plan – specifically a low-carb diet plan, according to experts. 

Low-fat vs low-carb diet plan

According to medical experts, the best way to combat lifestyle-related health problems like type 2 diabetes is to follow a healthy diet combined with regular exercise. For the longest time, it was believed that a low-fat diet plan could help you lose weight easily. It was often recommended to patients suffering from type 2 diabetes. 

However, new research tells us that a low-carb diet plan is more effective than a low-fat one. According to the research team at Texas A&M University, “patients who reduced carbohydrates for twelve weeks were thirty-two percent more likely to be in remission [for type 2 diabetes] six months later compared with those on other recommended diets.”

The twelve-week low-carb diet plan has resulted in increased weight loss, reduced medication use, and improved body fat concentrations in a trial conducted on middle-aged people.

Whereas a low-fat diet plan led to consuming a high amount of carbohydrates, which can trigger overproduction of insulin and result in hunger & weight gain.

Relationship between weight & diabetes

Researchers say: “type 2 diabetes remains a significant and worsening problem worldwide, despite many pharmaceutical developments.” But what is type 2 diabetes and why should we be careful to not be prone to it?

Diabetes is “a chronic condition that affects the way the body processes blood sugar (glucose).” Especially with type 2 diabetes, the body either doesn’t produce enough insulin or develops an insulin resistance.

Being overweight or obese increases a person’s risk for developing type 2 diabetes and this fact isn’t exclusive to only adults, even kids & teens have a chance of getting diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

Researchers add that since “structured diets are recognised as an essential component of treating diabetes but confusion remains about which to choose”, they have now concluded the study with a low-carb diet plan ready for action. 

What does a low-carb diet plan consist of?

A low-carb diet plan consists of lowering your intake of carbohydrates found in foods such as sweet & sugary foods; pasta, bread, rice made from refined grains; starchy vegetables and more. Incorporating protein-rich foods like unprocessed meat, eggs, fish, fibrous vegetables, fruits, nuts. etc., is likely to help in losing weight and improving health. 

As fats & proteins don’t spike the blood-sugar levels like carbohydrates do, cutting back on carbs can help stabilize diabetes under medication. Sticking to a low-carb diet plan might be difficult but the results are sure to kickstart your metabolism. A high metabolism can help in the longevity of sustaining ideal weight & active lifestyle. The bone broth cleanse can be a good start to this kind of diet.

Long-term effects

As good as the dietary plan seems, the research also found that most of the benefits seen from following a low-carb diet plan for an approximate of six months diminished by the twelve-month period. Therefore, more research is being conducted to explore the long-term adherence of results & effects of the diet. 

Experts suggest “short-term low-carb diets for management of type 2 diabetes”. The same can be applied to people dealing with overweight or obesity as the diet can aid in improving one’s overall health.

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A low-carb diet plan may not only help in reducing weight and lowering your chance of getting diabetes but also increases the chance of remission of type 2 diabetes in people. So, in short, a low-carb diet plan could be lifesaving for many – would you give it a try? 

Have you tried a low-carb diet before? What was your experience like? Let us know in the comments below.