People with type 2 diabetes on a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet may have a better chance of reversing their diabetes than those on a low-fat diet, according to a small study published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society. Type 2 diabetes is a disease where the beta cells in the pancreas cannot secrete enough insulin to control blood sugar.
“We showed that three months of a ketogenic diet was able to improve beta-cell function in patients with type 2 diabetes, and these improvements were associated with changes in the proinsulin-C-peptide ratio, a biomarker of pancreas stress,” said Marian Yurchishin, MS, of the University of Alabama at Birmingham in Birmingham, Ala. “Other than bariatric surgery or large-volume intentional weight loss, interventions for improving beta-cell function in type 2 diabetes do not currently exist.” A ketogenic diet is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate eating plan that shifts hepatic metabolism to favor the burning of fat over the storage of fat.
The biochemical changes involved ultimately yield numerous health benefits that may include improved beta-cell function and can occur without substantial weight loss.
Endocrine News published a clinical update in Research Highlights on 21 Apr 2026.
The item focuses on Keto Diet May Improve Beta Cell Function in People with Type 2 Diabetes.
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