There already exists a growing body of evidence that shows how a low carb approach can help put type 2 diabetes into remission, but now experts are exploring its impact on type 1 diabetes. A team French of scientists at Dijon University Hospital documented three different case studies to show the benefits of low carb treatment among adult men with newly-diagnosed type 1 diabetes. Clinical remission was defined as discontinuing insulin treatment for a period of at least three months.
The case studies involved three men aged between 36 and 40 years old at diagnosis. Shortly after being diagnosed, they all started a low carb, high-fat diet (LCHF). All three of the participants went into clinical remission. The findings have been published in the journal Diabetes & Metabolism.
Case Study 1
- Patient A was diagnosed with the condition aged 36.
- He had no medical history.
- He was a non-smoker.
- Upon diagnosis, he immediately began daily insulin injections, but a month after his diagnosis he decided to start a low carb, high-fat diet, restricting his carb intake to just 50g a day.
- He was able to stop using insulin completely within 15 days.
Case Study 2
- Patient B had a similar experience and was able to discontinue insulin after following a low carb diet shortly after diagnosis.
- Insulin has only been used once since following one infectious episode.
Case Study 3
- Patient C was diagnosed at age 38.
- The low carb diet began nine months after diagnosis.
- Insulin was no longer needed two weeks after adopting the low carb approach.
- Insulin therapy was once again required at low doses of around 16 units per day after 18 months.
- HbA1c remained very well controlled on the LCHF diet with insulin.
The researchers concluded:
We report here, for the first time, the cases of three T1D patients who experienced clinical remission after commencing an LCHF diet soon after their diagnosis.
Implementation of such a diet resulted in optimal glycaemic control while the frequency of hypoglycemia was low, although the effect on lipid parameters was variable. In any case, the LCHF diet, if introduced promptly, could preserve beta cell function in patients with residual insulin secretion at diagnosis.
Thus, an LCHF diet appears to be a feasible therapeutic option in self-motivated adults with T1D, provided that their lipid parameters are carefully controlled, and early introduction of the LCHF diet may well lead to clinical remission of T1D.
