Comparing the Intervention Effects of the Low-carbohydrate Diet and the Ketogenic Diet on Type 2 Diabetes

Abstract

Diabetes is a serious issue in human society, and over 90 percent of all cases are type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is caused by multiple factors such as genetic factors, dietary factors, and metabolic factors. Since dietary factors are one of the causes of type 2 diabetes, scientists and doctors consider food therapy to be a feasible method to intervene in diabetes. Low-carbohydrate and ketogenic diets are applied by many people who want to lower their carbohydrate intake, reduce their blood glucose level, and lose weight. These two dietary patterns are often applied to patients with type 2 diabetes, too. This paper will describe about the causes and pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes, introduce the low-carbohydrate diet and the ketogenic diet respectively, and then compare their intervening effects on type 2 diabetes. Neither dietary pattern is the most suitable for type 2 diabetes treatment as the intervening effects are limited. Also, the side effects of the two dietary patterns must be considered when applying them to patients with type 2 diabetes.