For children with type 1 diabetes, snack time isn’t always simple. Diet is an important part of a diabetes management plan to help avoid blood sugar spikes. But new research by endocrinologists at Boston Children’s Hospital suggests that food can be used as a powerful tool to help keep blood sugar under control.
About the Study
Endocrinologists Dr. David Ludwig and Dr. Belinda Lennerz from Boston Children’s Hospital conducted an observational study on diabetic children who follow a very low carb diet. The children’s very low carb diets included on average only 36 grams of carbs a day.
The parents of these children were members of a Facebook group for families with diabetic children. The observational data was confirmed by the child’s doctors and analyzed using the latest techniques.
Here are just 3 possible benefits of a very low carb diet for children with diabetes.
Greater Glycemic Control
Children in the study had what the researchers called “exceptional” glycemic control. The common target range for hemoglobin A1c values are below 7%. However, children in the study had average hemoglobin A1c values at 5.67%, within the normal range for children overall.
Researchers are very excited at the prospect of diabetic children achieving normal hemoglobin A1c values with the help of diet. More research is needed to confirm the connection, but the possibility is an amazing development in the treatment of type 1 diabetes.
Less Complications
The study found that children on the very low carb diet had lower hospitalization rates than usual. Only 1% of the children were hospitalized for hypoglycemia and only 2% were hospitalized for diabetic ketoacidosis.
Boost Mental Health
High or low blood sugar is known to negatively impact mood, mental resilience, and overall brain health. For children with diabetes prone to high or low blood sugar spikes, mental health is especially important. For more information and other ways to improve mental health in your diabetic child, see our blog on mental health for teens with type 1 diabetes.
Diet can be a powerful tool in the management of type 1 diabetes.
Ask your doctor about whether a low carb or other specialized diet could be a good addition to your child’s diabetes management plan.
Resources
Very Low Carb Diet can safely curb blood sugar in type 1 diabetes, study suggests – Boston Children’s Hospital
Management of Type 1 Diabetes With a Very Low–Carbohydrate Diet (Original Research) – Pediatrics
New Recommendations from the ADA: Management of Type 1 Diabetes In Children and Adolescents
Added Sugar Amounts Now On Nutrition Facts Panel
