Are Low Carb Diets Good for Diabetics?

Living with diabetes is a constant challenge, which is made more difficult by the often contradictory advice one receives for living with this condition. Fortunately, our medical and scientific knowledge of the mechanics of this condition improves year by year, thus improving the options for those so afflicted. One increasingly well-received option for those suffering from diabetes is adherence to a low-carb lifestyle.

Insulin and Diabetes

Diabetes is foremost a disease which has been consistently managed through control of the body's release of insulin. Stabilizing blood sugar and insulin levels is of foremost importance to diabetics. In the past, experts have recommended eating relatively large portions of carbs spread across numerous meals. However, there is more than one way to skin this particular cat.

Low-carb and insulin

As insulin production is directly tied to blood sugar levels, controlling blood sugar allows us some measure of control over insulin. Blood sugar is most heavily influenced by carbohydrates in the diet. Thus, employing a low-carb approach to diabetes management allows us to stabilize blood sugar at a relatively low level. While medical professionals have quibbled in the past over the efficacy of a low-carb approach to handling diabetes, increasing numbers of experts are beginning to jump on the low-carb bandwagon.

Advantages of low-carb

The primary advantage to a low-carb diet is the almost complete elimination of worry about maintaining blood sugar stability. While those diabetics who choose to consume carbs have to constantly analyze and monitor their blood sugar, those who prefer a low-carb lifestyle already have a good handle on their blood sugar -- it will be low and stable throughout the entire day. As the easiest way to live with a disease is to embrace a method that allows you to forget about your malady, this makes low-carb eating an attractive alternative.

Disadvantages of low-carb

Low-carb dieting is not without its drawbacks, however. The primary disadvantage to low-carb eating is that it is a socially devoid event. Generally speaking, our lives (and tastes) revolve around carbs. Kicking the carb-habit is a difficult battle that many individuals lose. Limiting yourself to a handful of menu items at any given restaurant and not being able to indulge at parties is a psychological battle that many might see as less cumbersome than having to monitor blood sugar.

Considerations

On balance, however, low-carb dieting is certainly a viable alternative for individuals suffering from diabetes. Like all things, there are both positives and negatives to choosing a low-carb lifestyle. In the end, the individual will have to make their decision on a case-by-case basis. But for those who are psychologically dominant enough to control their carb-cravings, low-carb living can help to take the disease out of diabetes.