This past month or so has been a good one for the health benefits of low carb diets in the news. Here are some of the highlights:
Calling All Science Geeks! An article in the current issue of the prestigious journal The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reviews a lot of the research on low carb diets, focusing on the effects of carb restriction on metabolism, as well as weight loss and the risk factors for heart disease.
Low Carb Diets and Metabolic Syndrome - This month's Journal of Nutrition also has interesting news, as it not only shows that a low carb diet can improve insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome, but gives hints about the the hormonal changes that contribute to the health improvements. This study used a version of the South Beach Diet.
Let's Keep Our Eyesight! - Want to avoid one the leading causes of blindness as we age? Keep cutting those carbs! This study was especially good because it looked at the glycemic load of the diet (not just the glycemic index, which is more limited) - in other words, it looked the types AND amounts of carbs. Those at the upper end were 40% more likely to suffer from macular degeneration than those at the lower end.
Let's Keep Our Brains! Yet another study linking poor glucose control with Alzheimer's Disease - not just in diabetics, but for those whose blood glucose is slowing creeping up towards diabetic levels. Low carb diets have been shown time and time again to lower blood glucose levels, as only makes sense (less sugar in the diet makes less sugar in the blood).
Photo © Frank van den Berg
Comments
Could not link to this article: Let’s Keep Our Brains! Yet another study linking poor glucose control with Alzheimer’s Disease - not just in diabetics, but for those whose blood glucose is slowing creeping up towards diabetic levels. Low carb diets have been shown time and time again to lower blood glucose levels, as only makes sense (less sugar in the diet makes less sugar in the blood).
It links to another article, not the one referenced.
Would really love to read it. Thanks.
My apologies and thanks so much for pointing this out. I’ve corrected it (this is what comes from having too many “New York Times” windows open at the same time!)