According to a study published in the journal PLoS ONE, a ketogenic diet -- one that is marked by its high fat, low carbohydrate content -- can reverse damage caused to tubes in the kidneys of mice with diabetes.
The eight-week study, conducted at New York’s Mount Sinai School of Medicine, used mice with both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Half the mice were put on the ketogenic diet. At the end of the study, researchers saw a reversal in kidney damage among the mice who were on the diet.
Professor and researcher Charles Mobb said the study is the first to show that diet changes alone can reverse damage caused by diabetes. The results are promising, but clinical trials will have to be done before the diet can be recommended, he added.
Diabetes UK, the UK’s largest organization focused on helping people with diabetes, said it was uncertain whether or not humans could sustain a ketogenic diet.
Experts say the diet, which is 87 percent fat, mimics the effects of starvation and should not be started without first consulting a medical professional.
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