Lower carbs, more proteins can lead to diabetes prevention, remission: Study

Lowering carbohydrates and increasing your protein intake, can result in diabetes remission and prevention, revealed a recent national study conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

The Indian Council of Medical Research–India Diabetes (ICMR-INDIAB) study, India’s largest epidemiological population-based study, was conducted on 18,090 adults across different states. The study’s main objective was to derive macronutrient recommendations for remission and prevention of type 2 diabetes (T2D) in Asian Indians using a data-driven optimisation approach.

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Different assessments including dietary, behavioural, and demographic, were performed.

Earlier studies have indicated that people in South and East India consume excess carbohydrates, especially white rice. In the North and West, refined wheat is consumed. Excess carbohydrate consumption has been linked to an increased risk of T2D. A typical Indian diet consists of 65-70 per cent carbohydrates and barely any protein, particularly for vegetarians.

Food ratio for remission

The nutritional requirement for remission of newly-diagnosed diabetes was found to be carbohydrates accounting for 49 to 54 per cent of energy consumption, proteins 19 to 20 per cent, fats 21 to 26 per cent and dietary fibres 5-6 per cent.

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For women to achieve the same results as men, they need to further cut their carbohydrate intake by 3 per cent. Old adults when compared to young adults, need to cut their carbohydrate consumption by an added 1 per cent while at the same time increase their protein consumption by an added 1 per cent.

For remission from pre-diabetes, the recommendations are 50 to 56 per cent carbohydrates, 18 to 20 per cent protein, 21 to 27 per cent fat and 3-5  per cent dietary fibre.

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Compared to physically active individuals, inactive individuals are recommended an additional 4 per cent reduction in their carbohydrate intake to achieve the same results.

The study was recently published in the journal Diabetes Care. Dr Anjana Mohan is the study’s lead author. Dr. Seshadri Srinivasan from the Kalasalingam Academy of Research and Education worked on the study’s mathematical model.