The effect of a plant-based low-fat diet versus an animal-based ketogenic diet on caloric intake and weight loss.

A plant-based diet without sugary refined grain foods versus a keto diet with a lot of vegetables.

After two weeks randomized to one of the two diets, the participants were switched to the other one for another two weeks. Looking

at the scale, guess who lost more body weight? Those on the low-carb diet. But guess who lost more

body fat? Those on the low-fat diet. In fact, there was no significant, those on the low fat diet?

In fact, there was no significant fat loss on the low carb diet, whereas two pounds of fat were lost on the low fat diet.

What they were losing on the low carb diet was fat-free mass, like water weight but muscle too.

While fat-free mass was relatively preserved while on the low-fat diet,

fat-free mass decreased on the low-carb diet.

And there was evidence that participants were losing muscle mass,

despite eating more protein than when they were on the plant-based diet.

But when they were eating almost no carbs, their blood sugars were certainly lower.

Does a ketogenic diet have a place within diabetes clinical practice?

It's even been suggested that low-carb diets could put type 2 diabetes into remission,

which can be defined as an HBA1C, a marker of blood sugar control,

lower than 6.5% for at least three months after stopping any blood sugar lowering medications.

But high blood sugars are just the symptom. The disease is one of carbohydrate intolerance.

If you're allergic to peanuts and don't have symptoms because you

avoid peanuts, you're just managing the disease, not curing it. Curing a peanut allergy

would mean being able to eat peanuts like anyone without a peanut allergy. It's the same with

carbohydrates and type 2 diabetes. True remission would be being able to eat

carbohydrates like everyone else without getting adverse effects. As Dr. Greger has covered,

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