After only 3 weeks of eating more healthy and exercising moderately, overweight and obese people suffering metabolic syndrome and Type 2 diabetes showed significant health improvements — even though they remained overweight, according to a study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology.
Talk about totally fascinating news — and yet the latest of many research studies, which show the importance of shunning refined, culprit carbs and the value of eating high-quality carbs (what I dub "qual carbs.")
"The study shows, contrary to common belief, that Type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome can be reversed solely through lifestyle changes [and doesn’t require substantial weight loss]," said lead researcher Christian Roberts of University of California, Los Angeles, who was quoted in Medical News Today.
What I find intriguing is that these participants followed a diet that was low fat (12-15% of calories), moderate in protein (15-20% of calories), and high in unrefined carbohydrates (65-70% of calories) and fiber (more than 40 grams).
The 46-to-76-year-old participants were in a 21-day residential program at the Pritikin Longevity Center, and half of them were able to reverse a clinical diagnosis of type 2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome. But, they "may not have reversed damage such as plaque development in the arteries," Roberts said.
Again, bear in mind that this program completely eliminated processed, fiber-stripped carbs.
In fact, the participants’ carbs came from whole grains (five or more servings daily), vegetables (four or more servings), and fruits (three or more servings).
The protein they ate came from plants (such as soy, beans, and nuts), non-fat dairy (up to two servings daily), and fish and poultry (3.5-ounce portion once a week and in soups and casseroles twice a week).
The rest of the calories came from fat with a polyunsaturated-to-saturated fatty acid ratio of 2.4 to 1.