The paleo / keto mafia loudly proclaims that independent of energy balance, high insulin spikes from sugar or even fruit are inherently damaging. Thus, fat calories are preferred over carbs to mitigate those insulin spikes.
Is there any science around that at all?
There are many examples of folks with type 2 diabetes that get cured via low carb diets, but those cases also coincide with significant weight loss, curtailment of calories, and usually a healthier diet as well. So was the cause the carb reduction or the removal of the other risk factors?
I would check our podcast out, episode #113 for a more detailed view.
A few points:
- Insulin is a satiety hormone with respect to appetite-satiety regulation. Nearly all meals spike insulin and the magnitude is not predictive of weight loss or gain, save for if insulin does not go up (promotes weight gain).
- Lower carbohydrate diets do not seem to have any reliable advantage in weight loss, adherence, or long-term health outcomes compared to other dietary patterns.
- There’s some data showing individuals with T2DM may require less medication when on a lower carb diet compared to other diets, though this isn’t rock solid.