Diet low in carbohydrates can reverse renal failure in people with diabetes

Researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine are saying for the first time that it was determined that with ketogenic, high specialized diet of fat, low carbohydrate diet, you can reverse the decline in renal function in patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. They also identified a panel of previously undeclared genes associated with renal failure linked to diabetes, which was cancelled by the diet.

The results have been published in the current issue of PLoS ONE.

Charles Mobbs, Ph.d., Professor of neurosciences and geriatric medicine and palliative care medicine  at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and his research team evaluated the mice that have a genetic predisposition to diabetes type 1 or 2. Mice were allowed to develop the diabetic nephropathy or renal failure. Half of the mice were put in the ketogenic diet, while the control group maintains a high standard carbohydrate diet. Researchers found after eight weeks, renal failure was reversed in mice in the ketogenic diet.

"Our study is the first to show that dietary intervention alone is sufficient to reverse this serious complication of diabetes," said Dr. Mobbs. "This finding has important implications for tens of thousands of Americans with  diagnosis of diabetic kidney disease and other complications each year possibly."

The ketogenic diet is that a diet high in fat is often used to control seizures in children with epilepsy, low in carbohydrates and  moderate proteins. The number of cells can obtain their energy from ketones, which are molecules produced when blood glucose levels are low and the levels of blood fats are high. When cells use ketones rather  than glucose for fuel, it is not metabolized glucose. High concentration of glucose metabolism leads to kidney failure in diabetics, the researchers hypothesized that the ketogenic diet blocks the toxic effects of glucose. Taking into account the requirements of the ends of the diet, it is not a solution in the long term for  adults. However, Dr. Mobbs research indicates that exposure to the diet at least a month might be enough for "restoration", the expression of genes and renal disease processes.

Researchers have also identified a large number of genes expressed in diabetic nephropathy knows no step to play a role in the development of this complication. These genes are associated with renal failure because of the tension in cell function. The team found that the expression of these genes was also reversed in mice in the ketogenic diet.

Dr. Mobbs and his team plan to continue to study the impact of the ketogenic diet and the mechanism by which invests a kidney failure in people with diabetes and renal failure related to age. They believe that the ketogenic diet may help treat other neurological disease and retinopathy, a disease that causes vision loss.

"Knowing how the ketogenic diet is investing kidney disease will help to identify a destination for the drugs and subsequent pharmacologic interventions that mimic the effect of the diet,", said Dr. Mobbs. "We hope to explore this promising development even more."

This study was funded in part by the national institutes of health and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.