1/16
Ever wondered why doctors and people with type 2 diabetes are getting so excited about low carbohydrate diets?
73 patients at my surgery have now reversed their type 2 diabetes
#medthread #tweetorial #medtwitter
Here's a tweetorial of how it's done
Ever wondered why doctors and people with type 2 diabetes are getting so excited about low carbohydrate diets?

73 patients at my surgery have now reversed their type 2 diabetes

#medthread #tweetorial #medtwitter
Here's a tweetorial of how it's done

2/16
As Diabetes Lead GP at my surgery for 25 years I achieved little/no success with @PHE_uk recommended "Eatwell Plate"
One day @lowcarbGP shared some success he had with offering LCHF (low carb, healthy fat) eating to people with type 2 diabetes
Does it work?
How?
As Diabetes Lead GP at my surgery for 25 years I achieved little/no success with @PHE_uk recommended "Eatwell Plate"
One day @lowcarbGP shared some success he had with offering LCHF (low carb, healthy fat) eating to people with type 2 diabetes
Does it work?

How?

3/16
Important to understand if there's > 1 teaspoon (5g) sugar/glucose in your blood then insulin PUSHES it into cells where it is deposited as FAT and TRIGLYCERIDE
Important to understand if there's > 1 teaspoon (5g) sugar/glucose in your blood then insulin PUSHES it into cells where it is deposited as FAT and TRIGLYCERIDE
4/16
We ALL agree that refined sugar is a really poor choice in diabetes. Sources include:
Added table sugar (obvs)
Honey
Sweets
Biscuits/cakes
Milk Chocolate
(non-diet) fizzy drinks
Fruit juice - 200ml apple juice contains the equivalent of 8.6 teaspoons sugar
We ALL agree that refined sugar is a really poor choice in diabetes. Sources include:
Added table sugar (obvs)
Honey
Sweets
Biscuits/cakes
Milk Chocolate
(non-diet) fizzy drinks
Fruit juice - 200ml apple juice contains the equivalent of 8.6 teaspoons sugar

5/16
What many people don't appreciate is how much sugar is released from starchy carbs
Starch is a string of glucose (sugar) molecules "holding hands" which our bodies rapidly break down into glucose
What many people don't appreciate is how much sugar is released from starchy carbs
Starch is a string of glucose (sugar) molecules "holding hands" which our bodies rapidly break down into glucose
7/16
Does it work?
Meet my lovely patient Mary (shared with her consent). She was an early phenomenal success. 85 years old and has type 2 diabetes and taking gliclazide
Her sugars were sky high so I called her into to the surgery to discuss options
Does it work?
Meet my lovely patient Mary (shared with her consent). She was an early phenomenal success. 85 years old and has type 2 diabetes and taking gliclazide
Her sugars were sky high so I called her into to the surgery to discuss options
8/16
Mary was adamant she did want to take more tablets (she had hated metformin - gave her diarrhoea) and would not consider insulin
Instead she wanted to try changing her diet
In only a few month of giving up starchy carbs and biscuits she achieve astonishing success
Mary was adamant she did want to take more tablets (she had hated metformin - gave her diarrhoea) and would not consider insulin
Instead she wanted to try changing her diet
In only a few month of giving up starchy carbs and biscuits she achieve astonishing success

9/16
Foods high in starchy carbs include:
Potatoes
Rice
Bread
Pasta
Bananas
Teaspoon of sugar infographics available free at: https://phcuk.org/sugar/
Foods high in starchy carbs include:
Potatoes

Rice

Bread

Pasta

Bananas

Teaspoon of sugar infographics available free at: https://phcuk.org/sugar/
10/16
Breakfast cereals are amazingly sugary. Just look
at 30g of cornflakes. Converts rapidly to 8.4 teaspoons of sugar.
And 30g wouldn't feed a sparrow!
I've foolishly recommended porridge for years - never again!
Breakfast cereals are amazingly sugary. Just look

And 30g wouldn't feed a sparrow!
I've foolishly recommended porridge for years - never again!
11/16
If I eat more healthy fat, won't my cholesterol go up?
No, with @lowcarbGP and @DrScottMurray our peer-reviewed, published data shows a LCHF lifestyle results in:
Total cholesterol
by 0.5mmol/l
Triglyceride
by 0.9mmol/l
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/15/2680
If I eat more healthy fat, won't my cholesterol go up?
No, with @lowcarbGP and @DrScottMurray our peer-reviewed, published data shows a LCHF lifestyle results in:
Total cholesterol

Triglyceride

https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/15/2680
12/16
We also found that with LCHF in type 2 diabetes:
Mean HbA1c
by 21 mmol/mol (1.9% DCCT)
Mean BP
11/6mmHg
There's no drug on the market that can deliver outcomes anywhere close to that and THIS IS FREE
We also stopped 154 BP meds as a result !!!
We also found that with LCHF in type 2 diabetes:
Mean HbA1c

Mean BP

There's no drug on the market that can deliver outcomes anywhere close to that and THIS IS FREE
We also stopped 154 BP meds as a result !!!
13/16
And of course using LCHF saves a fortune. My typical UK NHS general practice cares for 10,000 people and spends £52,000 per year less on diabetes meds than similar practices locally
And of course using LCHF saves a fortune. My typical UK NHS general practice cares for 10,000 people and spends £52,000 per year less on diabetes meds than similar practices locally
14/16
If people on meds for type 2 diabetes
their carbs will they go hypo?
YES, they can. They will almost always have to reduce their diabetes meds
This great paper from @CampbellMurdoch and @lowcarbGP explains how to do it safely
https://bjgp.org/content/69/684/360
If people on meds for type 2 diabetes

YES, they can. They will almost always have to reduce their diabetes meds
This great paper from @CampbellMurdoch and @lowcarbGP explains how to do it safely
https://bjgp.org/content/69/684/360