THURSDAY, April 23, 2026 (NewsDay News) — For adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D), a ketogenic diet (KD) lowers proinsulin concentrations than a low-fat diet (LFD), according to a study published online April 21. Journal of the Endocrine Society.
Marian L. Yurchyshyn, from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and colleagues compared changes in the proinsulin-to-C-peptide ratio (PICP) after a KD or LFD in 51 adults with T2D. Participants were randomly assigned to KD or LFD for 12 weeks. A hyperglycemic clamp was used to determine PICP and acute reactions (ACP) and maximal C-peptide.
The researchers found that after adjusting for 12 weeks of fasting glucose and PICP (PICP)0), dietary prescription was a significant predictor of changes in PICP0 (KD vs. LFD: β = -0.18). When PICP 190 minutes (PICP190) was used as the outcome variable, results were similar (KD vs. LFD; β = -0.23) after adjustment for 12-week fasting glucose and baseline PICP190. During the 12-week study, changes in ACP were inversely related to changes in PICP0 and PICP190 (ρ = –0.37 and –0.38).
“We showed that three months of a ketogenic diet was able to improve beta-cell function in patients with T2D, and these improvements were associated with changes in the PICP ratio, a biomarker of pancreatic stress,” Yurchyshyn said in a statement. “Other than bariatric surgery or intentional weight loss, programs to improve beta-cell function in T2D currently do not exist.”
Several authors disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.
