Type 2 diabetes is caused in part by the failure of pancreatic beta cells to respond as they should to blood sugar. Research suggests that switching to a low-carbohydrate diet might correct that beta cell dysfunction, boosting patients’ health.

Beta cells are made in the pancreas and produce insulin, the hormone humans need to control blood sugar levels. In one study, researchers placed 57 white and Black adults with Type 2 diabetes on one of two dietary regimens. Some patients ate a low-carb diet (9 percent carbohydrates and 65 percent fat), while others ate a high-carb diet (55 percent carbohydrates and 20 percent fat). All people on the low-carb diet saw significant improvements in their beta cell responses to blood sugar.

“People with Type 2 diabetes on a low-carbohydrate diet can recover their beta cells, an outcome that cannot be achieved with medication,” noted lead study author Barbara Gower of the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

The findings suggest that “people with mild Type 2 diabetes who reduce their carbohydrate intake may be able to discontinue medication and enjoy eating meals and snacks that are higher in protein and meet their energy needs.”