Beneficial effects of the high fat ketogenic diet in obese diabetic patients

This study was published in Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry 2007 Aug;302(1-2):249-56

Study title and authors:
Beneficial effects of ketogenic diet in obese diabetic subjects.

Dashti HM, Mathew TC, Khadada M, Al-Mousawi M, Talib H, Asfar SK, Behbahani AI, Al-Zaid NS.
Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, PO Box 24923, 13110 Safat, Kuwait. info@drdashti.com

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17447017

Dashti notes that obesity is closely linked to the incidence of type II diabetes.

The objective of this 56 week study was to examine the effects of the high fat ketogenic diet on 64 obese diabetic subjects who had either high blood sugar levels or normal blood sugar levels.

The ketogenic diet had the following effects:
(a) Patients lost a significant amount of weight.
(b) Harmful high blood sugar levels decreased significantly.
(c) Harmful high triglyceride levels decreased significantly.
(d) Beneficial high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels increased significantly.
(e) These changes were more significant in subjects with high blood sugar levels as compared to those with normal blood sugar levels.

This study shows the beneficial effects of the high fat ketogenic diet in obese diabetic patients.

Ketogenic diet is effective for improving and reversing type 2 diabetes

This study was published in Nutrition and Metabolism 2008 Dec 19;5:36

Study title and authors:

The effect of a low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diet versus a low-glycemic index diet on glycemic control in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Westman EC, Yancy WS Jr, Mavropoulos JC, Marquart M, McDuffie JR.

Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA. ewestman@duke.edu.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19099589

This 24 week study assessed the effects of two diets on 84 obese subjects with type 2 diabetes.

The two diets consisted of:
(i) Food of a low glycemic index, low calorie (each participant was assigned a diet designed to give them 500 calories a day less than they needed to maintain their weight), 55% carbohydrate diet. (Low glycemic index diet).
(ii) Food of less than 20 grams of carbohydrate a day, unlimited calorie intake and unlimited amounts of animal foods such as meat, poultry, fish and eggs. (Ketogenic diet).

The study found:
(a) Those on the ketogenic diet lost 61% more weight than those on the low glycemic index diet.
(b) Harmful high blood glucose levels reduced by an extra 24% on the ketogenic diet compared to the low glycemic index diet.
(c) Harmful high insulin levels reduced by an extra 172% on the ketogenic diet compared to the low glycemic index diet.
(d) Harmful high Hb1AC levels reduced by an extra 1% on the ketogenic diet compared to the low glycemic index diet.
(e) Harmful high blood pressure levels reduced by an extra 55% on the ketogenic diet compared to the low glycemic index diet.
(f) Harmful high triglyceride levels reduced by an extra 249% on the ketogenic diet compared to the low glycemic index diet.
(g) Harmful high very-low density lipoprotein  (VLDL) cholesterol levels were reduced by an extra 203% on the ketogenic diet compared to the low glycemic index diet.
(h) Healthy high levels of high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol were increased by 5.6 mg/dL (.14 mmol/l) on the ketogenic diet, whereas there was no change on the low glycemic index diet.

(i) Diabetes medications were reduced or eliminated in 95.2% in those on the ketogenic diet, whereas 62% of diabetes medications were reduced or eliminated in those on the low glycemic index diet.

The study shows how a ketogenic diet gives greater improvements than a low glycemic index diet and is effective for improving and reversing type 2 diabetes.

Links to other studies:
High fat diet to treat diabetes
Meat offers protection from diabetes and has anti-aging properties
High fat, low carbohydrate diets are an effective tool in the treatment of diabetes

Meat offers protection from diabetes and has anti-aging properties

This post features a synopsis on a study published in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 2006 May;1067:369-74 and a recipe for a quick steak.

Study title and authors:
Would carnosine or a carnivorous diet help suppress aging and associated pathologies?
Hipkiss AR.
Centre for Experimental Therapeutics, William Harvey Research Institute, Barts' and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, UK. alanandjill@lineone.net

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16804013
 
In this review of the effects of carnosine, Hipkiss notes that carnosine (an amino acid) acts as an antioxidant and is found exclusively in animal tissues.
                                                                                                                                           Books:

The review found:
(a) Carnosine suppresses the formation of advanced glycosylation end products, which therefore protects from the complications of diabetes which advanced glycosylation end products promote.
(b) Dietary carnosine has improved the behaviour of autistic children.
(c) Carnosine rich diets may help prevent alzheimers. In old age, blood levels of homocarnosine decrease by more than 10-fold and high levels of advanced glycosylation end products are associated with alzheimers. So a carnosine rich diet offers protection from alzheimers by suppressing the formation of advanced glycosylation end products.

This review found that carnosine can supress the formation of dangerous advanced glycosylation end products and may give protection from diabetes, autism and alzheimers.

The richest sources of dietary carnosine are beef, poultry and pork.

 
Carnosine may be the reason that people who include meat in their diets have lower levels of the dangerous advanced glycosylation end-products compared to vegetarians. 

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Recipe of the day

Quick Steak
 
serves 3-4
 

Ingredients:                                                                                                  Food Mall: Rib-eye steak

1 1/2-2 lbs ribeye or T-bone steak

1-2 tablespoons cracked pepper
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
 
Instructions:
Sprinkle steaks with pepper and press in.
 
Melt butter and olive oil in a skillet.
 
Saute steaks a few minutes a side until desired doneness.

High fat diet to treat diabetes

This post includes a summary of a paper published in Nutrition and Metabolism 2005, 2:34 and a recipe for rosemary steak skewers.

Study title and authors:
A low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diet to treat type 2 diabetes

Books:

William S Yancy Jr1,2 , Marjorie Foy1 , Allison M Chalecki1 , Mary C Vernon3 and Eric C Westman2

1 Center for Health Services Research in Primary Care, Department of Veterans' Affairs Medical Center (152), 508 Fulton Street, Durham, NC, USA 27705
2 Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
3 Private Bariatric and Family Practice, and Clinical Faculty, University of Kansas School of Medicine, Lawrence, KS, USA

The paper can be accessed at: http://www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/content/2/1/34

Red blood cells are made of a molecule called haemoglobin. Glucose sticks to the haemoglobin to make a 'glycosylated haemoglobin' molecule, called haemoglobin A1C or HbA1C. The more glucose in the blood, the more haemoglobin A1C or HbA1C will be present in the blood.

Red cells live for 8 -12 weeks before they are replaced. By measuring the A1C or HbA1C it can tell you how high your blood glucose has been on average over the last 8-12 weeks. A normal non-diabetic HbA1C is 3.5-5.5%. In diabetes about 6.5% is good. 

The study examined the changes in weight, (bad) triglyceride levels and Hemoglobin A1C levels that a high fat/low carbohydrate diet caused in 21 overweight participants with type 2 diabetes over a 16 week period.

The participants followed a diet in which they could eat as much fat as they wished, and kept their carbohydrate consumption low.

The study found:

(a) Body weight decreased by 6.6%.

(b) Triglycerides decreased 42%.

(c) Hemoglobin A1C decreased by 16%.

The high fat diet improved the haemoglobin A1C levels to such an extent in these type 2 diabetes patients that most of them discontinued or reduced their diabetes medication.

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Recipe of the day

Rosemary Steak Skewers

Ingredients:

Food Mall: Loin Steak

◦1 lb loin steak

◦1 T fresh chopped rosemary
◦2 cloves of fresh garlic, diced fine
◦1 t garlic powder
◦3 T balsamic vinegar
◦3 T EVOO
◦1 t salt

Method:
Wisk together rosemary, garlic, vinegar, EVOO and salt in a bowl. Cut your steak into 1” cubes and toss into the bowl. Stir to coat. Let this “hang out” for an hour. Thread your steak onto your rosemary skewers. You’ll require about 6, 8” skewers to fit all of your meat. For the grilling, we used a hot grill pan on the range top. If cooking outside, try to get the grill very hot and then turn off direct burners where you place the venison. Cook 3-5 minutes on each side. It won’t take long since you’ve cut into smaller pieces.