• Beta cells are pancreatic cells responsible for producing and releasing insulin, a hormone that helps control blood sugar levels.

• A recent study shows that adults with mild type 2 diabetes can improve their beta cell function by adopting a low-carbohydrate diet.

• Experts are concerned about the low-carb diet’s sustainability, but offer tips for success and alternative, evidence-based ways to improve beta cell function.

Beta cells are specialized cells in the pancreas that produce and release the hormone insulinwhich helps regulate blood sugar levels.

People with type 2 diabetes have a weakened beta cell response to blood sugar. This may be due in part to excessive carbohydrate consumption.

The combination of beta cell weight and insulin resistance drives type 2 diabetes development and progression.

About one in ten Americans has diabetes90-95% of these cases are type 2, making it one of the most common and largely preventable chronic diseases in the United States.

While lifestyle changes have shown prevent or delay type 2 diabetesresearchers continue to study beta cells to improve understanding and treatment.

Now, a new study suggests that a low-carb diet can improve beta-cell function in adults with mild type 2 diabetes.

This approach can help them manage the condition more effectively and possibly eliminate the need for medication.

The findings are published in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

How diet affects beta cell function in type 2 diabetes

This randomized controlled trial included 57 black and white adult men and women aged 35 to 65 with “mild” type 2 diabetes.

They had one hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) less than or equal to 8.0% and a body mass index (BMI) between 25 and 50.

Participants received their type 2 diabetes diagnosis within the past 10 years and were treated with diet or medications but did not use insulin.

The researchers had the participants stop their medications one or two weeks before baseline testing. Then they assigned the participants to one of two diets for 12 weeks:

They wanted to see if a lower carb diet would improve the participants’ beta cell response to sugar (glucose) compared to a higher carb diet.

Both diets were designed by a registered dietitian to be “eucaloric,” meaning that the diets provided the number of calories each participant needed to maintain their body weight.

The study provided participants with daily meals, detailed instructions for meal plans, and weekly meetings with the registered dietitian.

The scientists used hyperglycemic clamp and oral glucose tolerance test to examine the participant’s beta cell function and insulin release at the beginning and end of the 12-week diet period.

During the dietary intervention, two participants from the higher carb group and one from the lower carb group resumed their metformin medication and their data were included in the results.

Low-carbohydrate diet can improve beta-cell function in mild type 2 diabetes

After 12 weeks, the researchers observed significant improvements in beta-cell function and insulin release among participants on the low-carb diet compared to those on the high-carb diet.

Specifically, they found that individuals on a low-carb diet experienced improvements in ininitial (fast) and peak beta-cell responses that were twofold and 22% higher, respectively, compared to those on a high-carbohydrate diet.

Oral glucose tolerance test results showed that after 12 weeks, the low-carbohydrate diet improved insulin’s effect on blood sugar levels by 32%.

Among all groups, black adults following a low-carbohydrate diet showed a 110% greater improvement in rapid beta-cell responses than those on a high-carbohydrate diet. This effect was not observed in white adults.

Conversely, white adults experienced a 48% greater improvement in peak beta cell response than those on a high-carbohydrate diet, a difference not observed in black adults.

The study’s authors suggest that the varying responses to dietary intervention observed between races may be due in part to biological differences in beta-cell function.

Black adults may exhibit a higher immediate insulin response to glucose compared with white adults, even when their levels of insulin sensitivity are equivalent.

They concluded that “with the caveat that (carbohydrate restriction) may be difficult for some patients, such a diet may allow patients with mild (type 2 diabetes) to stop taking medication and enjoy eating meals and snacks that meet their energy needs while they improve beta cell function, a result that cannot be achieved with medication.”

How can a low-carb diet improve beta cell function?

The study found that insulin sensitivityor how efficiently the body uses insulin, did not change much with the dietary interventions. So it is unlikely that changes in insulin sensitivity were the cause of the improvements in beta cell response specific to the low-carbohydrate diet.

In other words, the improved beta cell responses were likely due to something other than changes in insulin sensitivity.

More research is needed, though Medical news today spoke with Thomas M. Holland, MD, MSa physician-scientist and assistant professor at the RUSH Institute for Healthy Aging, RUSH University, College of Health Sciences, who was not involved in the study, to gain a better understanding of how a low-carb diet can improve beta-cell function.

He explained that:

“Although this benefit is more pronounced in people with mild diabetes, it can still help individuals with prediabetes (with an HbA1c of around 5.7%-6.4%) or even those with more advanced diabetes, although the degree of improvement may vary from person to person,” Holland added.

How to make a low-carb diet more sustainable

Holland emphasized that “a carbohydrate-restricted diet can be beneficial for managing type 2 diabetes, but adherence, especially among older adults, can be challenging.”

To make a low-carb diet more sustainable, he recommended:

• incorporate flexibility in carbohydrate intake while prioritizing whole, unprocessed or minimally processed foods rich in fiber and nutrients

• adding variety and making the diet enjoyable

• monitor blood sugar levels regularly, especially when adjusting or reducing medications under a healthcare provider’s guidance

• consultation with a health care provider is to ensure that the diet is consistent with individual health needs.

“While a ketogenic (very low-carbohydrate) diet can be effective if followed properly, under the guidance of a dietitian or physician, a significant concern is the potential for rebound effects when reintroducing carbohydrates,” Holland warned.

He explained that these rebound effects can cause “significant weight gain and strain on the beta islet cells to ensure appropriate insulin production,” which can lead to negative health outcomes.

MNT also talked to Sheri Gaw, RDN, CDCESa registered dietitian, certified diabetes care and education specialist and owner of The Plant Strong Dietian, who was also not involved in the study.

She similarly recommends choosing high-fiber, low-carb foods to make low-carb diets easier to maintain, as “fiber helps slow digestion and increase satiety.”

She recommended foods such as:

Other dietary and lifestyle changes to improve beta cell function

“A carbohydrate-restricted diet may work for some people with type 2 diabetes, but not everyone,” Gaw said, emphasizing that there is no one-size-fits-all approach.

For those for whom a low-carb diet isn’t ideal, Holland highlighted other science-backed diets and lifestyle changes that can improve beta cell function:

See the original article at Medical news today