The most intense carbohydrate restriction is known as a Very Low Carbohydrate – ketogenic diet (VLKD). It is a powerful tool to treat type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance.

Carbohydrates are not necessary to sustain life or good health. The Inuits eat exclusively protein and fat for long periods of time with most of the calories coming from fatty meats. Very low carbohydrate diets (VLKD) mimic this diet and target less than 30 grams of carbohydrate daily by replacing the carbohydrate calories with healthy fats. The body now uses fat as its primary energy source and insulin levels drop to near zero. The protein intake should not be increased significantly in order to avoid the body converting excess protein into sugar ( called gluconeogenesis ). This diet was used to treat diabetes before insulin was developed and can be used today to help patients avoid insulin and decrease or eliminate the need for oral diabetes medication. Although not the easiest diet to follow, a VLKD can often be successful in helping bring blood sugars to normal and reduce or eliminate the need for medication.

View and excellent video discussion of the current approach to diabetes treatment here.

Dr. Georgia Ede has an excellent website covering low carbohydrate living. She follows a ketogenic diet herself and blogs extensively about current news reports and studies.

Dr. Michael Eades has been treating diabetic patients with low carbohydrate diets for many years. Here he talks about how to get started and what to expect. In particular he reports on the tendancy of folks to have a “carb withdrawal” in the first couple weeks after starting a VLKD.