Low-carbohydrate diet beneficial for kids, youth with type 1 diabetes: Study

A diet low in carbohydrates could be beneficial for children and young adults with Type 1 diabetes claimed a studyPeople suffering from Type 1 diabetes an autoimmune disease that results in the loss of beta cell mass have insulin deficiency and hence need lifelong insulin therapyResearchers from Charles University and Motol University Hospital in the Czech Republic showed that a shortterm lowcarbohydrate diet led to an improvement in glycemic parametersTo achieve optimal metabolic control T1D requires frequent insulin administration and daily control of carbohydrate intake and physical activity While the targets are often missed especially in children and adolescents dietary interventions can be a promising way to achieve the goal said the teamA low carbohydrate diet LCD is defined by American Diabetes Association ADA for adults as more than 130 grams of carbohydrates per day or less than 26 per cent of daily recommended energy intake from carbohydratesThe study comes amidst clinical guidelines from the International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes ISPAD recommending against low carb diet for children and adolescents with or at risk for developing diabetesDespite ISPADrsquos recommendation of 4550 per cent of daily energy intake from carbohydrates for children and young people with type 1 diabetes there is growing evidence that carbohydrate reduction is a popular strategy the team saidFor the study they investigated whether a short period of tightly controlled lowcarbohydrate diet leads to a higher time in range without increasing the associated risks in children and young people with diabetesThey included 35 children and young people with type 1 diabetes in a randomised controlled crossover study The interventions were five and five weeks of readymade food box deliveries of isocaloric diets in random order either a lowcarbohydrate diet LCD or recommended carbohydrate diet RCDChildren are known to be at risk of hypoglycemia a condition when blood sugar levels drop too low with a lowcarb dietHowever the study results published in the journal Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice showed that shortterm LCD led to an improvement of glycemic parameters without increasing time in hypoglycemiaIt did not ldquodisturb the lipid profile or negatively affect the quality of life of children and young people with diabetesrdquo said the researchersThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever