In what they called a ‘critical appraisal’, 19 scientists from around the world (Canada, Finland, Portugal, Sweden, UK & USA) reevaluated the significance of carbohydrate restriction as a nutritional approach for controlling biochemical parameters in diabetes. The authors summarize that…

“…current nutritional approaches to metabolism syndrome and type 2 diabetes generally rely on reductions in dietary fat. The success of such approaches has been limited and therapy more generally relies on pharmacology. The argument is made that a reevaluation of the role of carbohydrate restriction, the historical and intuitive approach to the problem, may provide an alternative and possibly superior dietary strategy. The rationale is that carbohydrate restriction improves glycemic control and reduces insulin fluctuations which are primary targets. Experiments are summarized showing that carbohydrate-restricted diets are at least as effective for weight loss as low-fat diets and that substitution of fat for carbohydrate is generally beneficial for risk of cardiovascular disease. These beneficial effects of carbohydrate restriction do not require weight loss.
Finally, the point is re-iterated that carbohydrate restriction improves all of the features of metabolic syndrome.”

The review has been published OPEN ACCESS in Nutrition and Metabolism.