Ketogenic Diet Benefits to Weight Loss, Glycemic Control, and Lipid Profiles in Overweight Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trails

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Aug 22;19(16):10429. doi: 10.3390/ijerph191610429.

Abstract

A ketogenic diet, characterized by low calories with high levels of fat, adequate levels of protein, and low levels of carbohydrates, has beneficial effects on body weight control in overweight patients. In the present study, a meta-analysis was conducted to investigate the role of a ketogenic diet in body weight control and glycemic management in overweight patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). In summary, we systematically reviewed articles from the Embase, PubMed, Web of Science and Cochrane Library databases and obtained eight randomized controlled trials for meta-analysis. The results show that a ketogenic diet had significantly beneficial effects on the loss of body weight (SMD, -5.63, p = 0.008), the reduction of waist circumference (SMD, -2.32, p = 0.04), lowering glycated hemoglobin (SMD, -0.38, p = 0.0008) and triglycerides (SMD, -0.36, p = 0.0001), and increasing high-density lipoproteins (SMD, 0.28, p = 0.003). Overall, these results suggest that a ketogenic diet may be an effective dietary intervention for body weight and glycemic control, as well as improved lipid profiles in overweight patients with T2DM. Hence, a ketogenic diet can be recommended for the therapeutic intervention of overweight patients with T2DM.

Keywords: body weight control; glycated hemoglobin; glycemic management; high-density lipoprotein; therapeutic intervention; very low-carbohydrate diet.

Publication types

  • Meta-Analysis
  • Review
  • Systematic Review
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Blood Glucose / analysis
  • Body Weight
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2* / therapy
  • Diet, Ketogenic*
  • Glycemic Control
  • Humans
  • Overweight
  • Triglycerides
  • Weight Loss

Substances

  • Blood Glucose
  • Triglycerides

Grants and funding

This study was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant (No. 31771318) to N.C., and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities under Grant (2021yjsCXCY095) to M.W., as well as the Chutian Scholar Program and Innovative Start-Up Foundation from Wuhan Sports University to N.C.