What is low carb eating ?
For a long time , there was no definition of low carb eating . This changed when Feinman et al produced a critical review on dietary carb restriction as the first approach in diabetes management . Feinman defined a low carb diet as 50g-130g carbs per day or 10-26 % of total kilojoule intake per day . This definition is still widely used today in research studies and in education .
Carbohydrate amounts classified :
Very low carb diet ( ketogenic ) 20g-50g carbs or < 10 % of total kJ intake per day
Low carb diet 50g-130g carbs or 10-26 % of total kJ intake per day
Moderate carb diet 130g-225g carbs or 26-45 % of total kJ intake per day
High carb diet > 225g carbs or > 45 % of total kJ intake per day
Is low carb eating safe ?
A key safety concern of low carb eating is around hypoglycaemia ( hypo ) risk . In people with diabetes , a hypo can be a side effect of insulin and a class of oral medications known as sulphonylureas . People with type 1 or type 2 diabetes who use insulin are at a higher risk of a hypo when following low carb eating . They are encouraged to
see their diabetes healthcare team before reducing their carb intake or making any major lifestyle changes .
The hypo risk decreases for people who have advanced carb counting knowledge and follow flexible insulin therapy . Often , they have regular contact with their diabetes healthcare team and / or they have completed an advanced self-management program , like OzDAFNE ( Dose Adjustment For Normal Eating ) or Flex-IT .
People with type 2 diabetes who don ’ t require sulphonylureas or insulin appear to be safe with low carb eating . Two relatively recent systematic reviews ( Turton , 2019 and Goldenberg 2021 ) reveal there are nil safety concerns in a clinical setting with low carb eating as management for type 2 diabetes . What is recommended , however , is all people with diabetes who start low carb eating should self-monitor their BGLs and speak to their doctor to adjust diabetes medications to reduce the risk of a hypo .
© Dietitian Connection 24 Infuse | May 2023