Low carb diet can reduce mortality

Researchers looked to study the association between low-carbohydrate diet and rate of mortality among people with Type 2 Diabetes. In low- carbohydrate diet, less than 26 per cent of energy is derived from carbohydrates. The protein or the fat consumption is increased to compensate for the decrease in the carbohydrate content. Rapid weight loss is seen in the first 6 -12 months. This is probably due to increased feeling of satiety due to increased protein and fat consumption, which lessens hunger and decreases food intake, resulting in caloric deficit.

The study results, published in the journal Diabetes Care, showed that there were 4,595 deaths of which 1,389 cases were due to heart disease and 881 to cancer.

The study showed that if the low carbohydrate diet (with an inclusion of high-quality sources of macronutrients) was regularly followed then there were significantly lower deaths due to heart disease or cancer.