Type 1 diabetes is a chronic disease and people experience symptoms such as a dry mouth, blurred vision, excessive thirst, and fatigue. The best treatment for type 1 diabetes is insulin, a healthy diet, and regular exercise. Recently there have also been studies on how a low carb diet can help manage type 1 diabetes. A well-known low carb diet is the keto diet, which focuses on consuming fewer carbs and more fat and proteins, instead. Cutting back on the carbs and thus sugar can have many health benefits, including helping treat ailments and inflammation, for example.

As the Body Reboot book mentions, the keto diet has many benefits including potentially improving symptoms of diseases like diabetes. Check in with your physician to confirm what is best for your health, however.

Recently there was a study that focused on children and adults with type 1 diabetes. The researchers had them go on a low carb diet and the results are very promising!

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate glycemic control among children and adults with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) who consume a very low–carbohydrate diet (VLCD).

METHODS: We conducted an online survey of an international social media group for people with T1DM who follow a VLCD. Respondents included adults and parents of children with T1DM. We assessed current hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) (primary measure), change in HbA1c after the self-reported beginning of the VLCD, total daily insulin dose, and adverse events. We obtained confirmatory data from diabetes care providers and medical records.

RESULTS: Of 316 respondents, 131 (42%) were parents of children with T1DM, and 57% were of female sex. Suggestive evidence of T1DM (based on a 3-tier scoring system in which researchers took into consideration age and weight at diagnosis, pancreatic autoimmunity, insulin requirement, and clinical presentation) was obtained for 273 (86%) respondents. The mean age at diagnosis was 16 ± 14 years, the duration of diabetes was 11 ± 13 years, and the time following a VLCD was 2.2 ± 3.9 years. Participants had a mean daily carbohydrate intake of 36 ± 15 g. Reported mean HbA1c was 5.67% ± 0.66%. Only 7 (2%) respondents reported diabetes-related hospitalizations in the past year, including 4 (1%) for ketoacidosis and 2 (1%) for hypoglycemia.

CONCLUSIONS: Exceptional glycemic control of T1DM with low rates of adverse events was reported by a community of children and adults who consume a VLCD. The generalizability of these findings requires further studies, including high-quality randomized controlled trials.

What’s Known on This Subject:
Despite pharmacological and technological advances, optimal glycemic control of type 1 diabetes remains elusive, putting millions of people worldwide at increased risk of micro- and macrovascular complications. One conceptually promising but poorly studied approach is dietary carbohydrate restriction.

What This Study Adds:
Exceptional glycemic control of type 1 diabetes without high rates of acute complications may be achievable among children and adults with a very low–carbohydrate diet. However, the generalizability of these findings and long-term safety of carbohydrate restriction remain unknown.

As the study mentions, the results were positive, however, more research must continue to find out how else a low-carb diet can help people who have type 1 diabetes. It's very promising, though and it does show that a low-carb diet can lead to positive health changes. For more studies on similar topics, visit AAP.

We all know that a healthy diet, as well as diet and exercise, can lead to a healthier lifestyle, especially for adults and children who have type 1 diabetes. People suffering from this chronic disease should not give up hope because there are ways to improve their lifestyle, and going on a keto diet is one way to do just that.

The keto diet can help improve one's health, and it has countless other benefits too. At the time of writing this post, we're currently giving away free copies of the Body Reboot book because it's our mission to increase awareness and to help people lose weight and get healthy! If you help us cover the cost of shipping, we’ll send a copy to your door FREE. Go over to this page to see if there are any copies left.