Not dramatic side effect. The rule has been Metformin can not cause a low, still is noted, but Metformin controls your liver and reduces the amount of glucose leak that is typical fo T2, Ecept for people like me who’s liver is functioning quite well, and when I take metformin and exercise. There is no burst of Glucose for quick energy from the liver. During hard exercise ( i am a runner) my numbers plummet to the 50’s. Since stopping metformin I have not had the issue of going low during hard exercise. On longer runs I do consume glucose gels every one to two mile.
I believe everyone should be allowed to follow the diet they want. I just want it out there that low carb is not necessarily the answer for diabetics. There is research out there that supports this. Here is a few of the more recent announcements.
Increasing your fat intake by 40 percent decreases the “good” bacteria in your gut.
Participants in the high-fat group saw increased proinflammatory microbiota.
(Wan Y, Wang F, Yuan J, et al. Effects of dietary fat on gut microbiota and faecal metabolites, and their relationship with cardiometabolic risk factors: a 6-month randomized controlled-feeding trial. Gut . Published online February 19, 2019.)
Researchers tracked daily carbohydrate intake in 14,000 diet records from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study and monitored incidences of heart arrhythmias. Those who consumed the least amount of carbohydrate increased the chance of developing AFib by 18 percent, compared with those who consumed the most carbohydrate. AFib is associated with a five-fold increased risk for stroke and may lead to heart failure.
(American College of Cardiology’s 68th Annual Scientific Session/Zhuang X. U-shaped relationship between carbohydrate intake proportion and incident atrial fibrillation. Poster presented at: 68th American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session. March 16-18, 2019; New Orleans, LA. )
A Plant-Based Dietary Intervention Improves Beta-Cell Function and Insulin Resistance in Overweight Adults: A 16-Week Randomized Clinical Trial
( Nutrients 2018 , 10 (2), 189; Nutrients | Free Full-Text | A Plant-Based Dietary Intervention Improves Beta-Cell Function and Insulin Resistance in Overweight Adults: A 16-Week Randomized Clinical Trial, Abstract)
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There is research on line to support almost any opinion
Interesting that plant based is offered, like sugar, or oranges grains, etc.
all which I don’t tolerant.
In my humble opinion , Low carb to me means reducing my carb intake to the level my body can process it with out medication, I don’t follow Bernstein, or Keto or any published “diet.” I guess I am old fashion, but I learned to eat to my meter and still do. If my BG spikes I don’t eat it. Whether it be plant, animal or mineral.
I admit that I do not eat fat bombs or count all my macronutrient as Keto wants.
I look at the bottom line My A1c is mid 5’s I have been stable for 10 years.
I do tend to eat more plant food, always have. No grains no flour no sugars But eat protein, always have.
I guess I am considered low carb, because I consume around 30 a day. Not because someone wrote in a book that I should, my meter told me.
No health issues, no out of wack test.
Age 73 doing well.
I agree all find what works for us individually , My only. Criteria is that all T2’s should reduces their carb intake we are carb intolerant, it make sense.
My meter told me
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Sounds like you are doing well Tom. I too keep my A1c at 5.5, not as low as when I was followed Bernstein, but now I am not nearly as insulin resistant and can eat 300 carbs a day with 23 units of insulin a day.
Many type 2’s eat this way too and are doing well without having to take diabetic meds. They are thrilled.
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Just a note yes my A1c is in the 5’s I started at 12.0. And I have been off diabetes medication for 8 years. Diet and exercise only
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I was told you can still eat your favorite foods, or foods you normally eat…but less of it is better. Low carb diet is what my GI doctor put on my notes for when I come back along with losing 5 to 10 percent of my body weight. Diet and exercise is what I’ve seen many do who had a high A1c like @T2Tom
I like the low carb/ketogenic diet that is becoming more popular. I think the average American diet is in need of an overhaul. It’s getting easier to find alternative diet options, though! There are more keto shakes and dairy alternative products. I think once it becomes easier to follow a low carb diet, more people will be willing to try it and more people will be able to stick to it. And once food manufacturers see there is money to be made there, more of them will start creating those kinds of products, kind of like the organic foods movement. So I think there is hope that in the future this will change!
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I recently started to go lower carb. I typically ate maybe 150 carbs/ meal before diabetes. Once diagnosed I started eating 70 carbs/meal.
Now I am trying to reduce and my new limit is about 50/meal and I eat alternately one meal or 2 meals a day.
I am trying to get nearer Keto levels of 20 carbs/day but so far I can’t. When I get my carbs low I have to turn off my pump and then eat carbs due to hypos.
I am improving and can get low as 30 carbs/meal and avoid the lows.
So far even my feeble attempts have produced big results.
My A1C is unaffected but was good with more carbs too.
The biggest changes are weight loss and also getting off my blood pressure meds.
I am also sleeping better.
I can now shovel snow longer without hypos.
The other change has been cutting my insulin use in my pump by about 30%. This has been almost all from lower basals and not bolus changes.
If anyone responds like me I would have to add that they should not even attempt this without a CGM. I often have to use the alarms to wake up and lower my basals at night.
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When I first tried a low carb high fat way of eating in 2012, I reduced my net cardb consumption down to 100 grams/day. I lost 25 pounds very quickly but I did have to aggressively adjust downward both my basal insulin and insulin sensitivity factor. In fact I went from a total daily dose of insulin of 80 units down to less than 40. I was surprised that my metabolism and body reacted so positively and quickly.
Congrats to your march toward better glucose management!