Previous research has never explicitly connected low carbohydrate intake and improvement of metabolic syndrome. The general recommendation to patients has been to focus on reducing fat intake. Volek et al. argue that the cause of metabolic syndrome is linked to insulin imbalance. Carbohydrates are the main stimulus for insulin, and reducing carbohydrate can be effective at restoring insulin responses. So reducing carbohydrate intake, not fat intake, should be the main aspect of treatment for metabolic syndrome, the authors argue. This is supported by data from previous research, which shows that carbohydrate reduction is more effective than fat reduction at improving all the components of metabolic syndrome.
Article:
Carbohydrate restriction improves the features of Metabolic Syndrome. Metabolic Syndrome may be defined by the response to carbohydrate restriction
Jeff S Volek and Richard D Feinman
Nutrition & Metabolism, in press
Nutrition & Metabolism