Health by Jay

The chart

The Tamil Paleo chart, checked line by line

Every instruction and every promised benefit on the widely shared tamilhealth diet chart, graded against the research.

Compiled by Jayakanthan, Richmond, Virginia

Last reviewed against sources: October 25, 2026

On this page
  1. 1Disclaimer and prerequisites
  2. 2Health checkups
  3. 3Beginner's diet
  4. 4"Warrior diet modes" (fasting)
  5. 5Vitamin intake
  6. 6Exercise
  7. 7Paleo foods (allowed)
  8. 8Forbidden foods
  9. 9To love, and to avoid at any cost
  10. 10The promised health benefits
  11. 11A one-page version that holds up
For my family only

This site is curated for my own family members. It is not a recommendation or a diet plan for anyone else. Do not change your diet, start fasting, or change any medicine without your own doctor's advice. We are not responsible for any consequences of following this information without proper medical supervision.

Read this first: This page is education, not a treatment plan. If you take insulin, a sulfonylurea (glipizide, glimepiride, gliclazide), an SGLT2 inhibitor (Jardiance, Farxiga, Invokana), blood pressure pills, warfarin or lithium, or if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, under 18, have kidney disease or a history of an eating disorder, do not start a low-carb diet or fasting without your doctor.

The chart reviewed here exists in two versions, "meat based" (2015) and "veg + egg" (2016), both credited to the tamilhealth Facebook group (Arogyam & Nalvazhvu). Its stated aim is "a healthy life and preventing onset of major diseases by changing to a high-fat, medium-protein, low-carb diet style". To its credit, it opens with a warning that it was not designed by a doctor or dietitian and needs medical approval. Below, each part is graded. For the history of the movement, see Paleo.

Scorecard
  • Holds up: no sugar, no sweets, no sugary drinks, no processed food, much less rice and wheat, home cooking, eggs, vegetables, get tested first, don't smoke, limit alcohol.
  • Goes too far: banning all legumes and all fruit, treating all refined oils as forbidden, "fat and skin on, no lean cuts", 500 g of paneer a day.
  • Unsafe as written for some people: fasting up to 23 hours and cutting carbs sharply while on insulin, sulfonylureas or SGLT2 inhibitors; any of it in pregnancy; the claim of gestational diabetes protection.
  • Unproven: most of the promised benefits beyond blood sugar, triglycerides, weight and fatty liver.

1Disclaimer and prerequisites#

A"Should avoid smoking and alcohol."

Holds up

Nothing to add, except that it should apply to everyone, not only Paleo followers.

B"Not designed by a doctor; dangerous without proper knowledge and doctor approval."

Holds up, and needs to be specific

The chart never says why. The main reason is medicines: insulin, sulfonylureas and SGLT2 inhibitors can cause dangerous lows or ketoacidosis once carbs drop[1,2,3]. See the medicine table.

2Health checkups#

BEleven tests before starting.

Right idea; list needs updating

Keep fasting glucose, HbA1c, lipids, kidney, liver, CBC, uric acid and thyroid. Add ApoB, a one-time Lp(a), urine albumin-creatinine ratio, B12 and electrolytes. Rethink routine vitamin D testing, which the Endocrine Society now advises against in healthy adults[4]. A casual "post-prandial" sugar is less useful than HbA1c. Most important: retest at about 3 months, because LDL and ApoB rise in some people[5,6]. Full panel: Before you start.

3Beginner's diet#

Chart saysVerdictSupport for the chart's claim
Meal 1: three to four eggs (veg version: paneer or eggs)Fine. Eggs are cheap, filling protein with almost no carbohydrate. If your LDL rises, cut back.B
Meal 2 option: 100 g almonds (about 100)Too much for most people: about 580 kcal and a lot of oxalate. A handful (25 to 30 g) is a serving.D
"Almonds should not be taken with other food; allow two hours before and after"No evidence for this rule.D
Meal 2 option: bulletproof coffee / butter teaNo outcome trials; a large dose of saturated fat in place of a meal.D
Meal 2 option: one glass of full-fat milkFine. About 12 g of carbohydrate per glass.C
Snack: lemon juice, coconut slicesFine.C
Meal 3: 500 g chicken, fish or meatA lot, about 100 g or more of protein in one meal. Fine for healthy kidneys[7], not for kidney disease[8]. Most people do well with 150 to 250 g of meat or fish per meal.C
Meal 3 (veg): 500 g "Paleo veg" or paneer500 g of paneer is about 1,500 kcal and over 100 g of fat, much of it saturated. Use paneer, tofu, curd and a little dal together instead.✕

4"Warrior diet modes" (fasting)#

✕A ladder from 12:12 up to 23:1, "fasting followed by feasting".

Longer is not better, and "feasting" is the wrong idea

A 4-hour window gave the same weight loss as a 6-hour one, and the only controlled trial of one meal a day raised blood pressure, LDL and hunger[9,10]. When calories are matched, fasting is not better than eating a little less every day[11,12]. 12 to 16 hours, finished earlier in the evening, is where the evidence sits. Fasting with insulin or sulfonylureas doubled low-sugar episodes even with dose reductions[2]. Details: Fasting.

5Vitamin intake#

D"Vitamin D: 20 minutes of sun daily, 40% body exposure."

Fine in a Chennai summer, not in a Virginia winter

At Richmond's latitude, skin makes little to no vitamin D from about November to February, and darker skin needs much longer exposure[13,14]. See sun and vitamin D.

C"Vitamin C: 1 amla a day to increase HDL."

Weak

Small, short trials of amla extract capsules, partly industry-supplied[15,16]. A good fruit, not a cholesterol treatment.

B"Omega-3: one spoon of flaxseed in food" (veg version).

Good food, not a fish-oil substitute

Flax lowers blood pressure a little[17], but the body makes very little EPA and DHA from it[18]. Vegetarians can consider algal oil[19].

6Exercise#

B"30 minutes: mild walking, cycling, swimming or aerobics."

Good start, missing two things

Add strength training twice a week (WHO)[20] and a 10-minute walk after each meal, which beat one 30-minute daily walk for blood sugar[21]. South Asians may need nearer 230 to 270 minutes a week[22]. See Move.

7Paleo foods (allowed)#

Chart saysVerdictSupport for the chart's claim
Eggs, free-range bestEggs, yes. No good evidence that free-range is healthier to eat.B / D
Any free-range or grass-fed meat; "all meat with skin and fat, no lean cuts"Animal-heavy low-carb is linked to higher mortality in cohorts, plant-heavy to lower[23,24]. "No lean cuts" raises saturated fat for no proven benefit. Prefer fish and chicken; red meat a few times a week.✕
All seafoodYes. Oily fish (mathi, ayala, salmon) are the best source of omega-3.B
All vegetables (veg sheet)Yes, with roots and tubers limited. See the vegetable list.A
Gingelly, coconut (cold-pressed), olive oil; butter, ghee, cheese, curd, paneerGingelly and olive are good everyday choices. Coconut oil raises LDL against vegetable oils[25]; ghee and butter likely similar. Curd has the best evidence of the dairy foods[26]. Allowing dairy makes this LCHF, not strict Paleo.B
Fruit: avocado, amla, unripe guavaGood choices. But the list is far too narrow; see below.B

8Forbidden foods#

Chart saysVerdictSupport for the chart's claim
Tapioca, sweet potato, potatoReasonable to limit while lowering blood sugar: 15 to 24 g net carb per 100 g[27].B
All grains: rice, corn, wheat, oats, quinoa, barleyCutting white rice and refined flour is supported, especially for South Asians[28]. Whole grains are linked to lower heart disease and death[29,30]. A temporary strict cut for diabetes is reasonable; a lifelong total ban is not supported.C
All legumes and dals: urad, toor, moong, peanuts, soy, rajma, chanaPulses lower LDL in trials[31] and are a main vegetarian protein. Cooking destroys lectins[32]. Keep dal in smaller portions.✕
All refined oils, including sunflower, rice bran, canola, groundnut; vanaspati and daldaVanaspati and dalda (partially hydrogenated fats) deserve the ban. Calling all refined vegetable oils harmful goes against the cohort evidence[33]. Note the chart lists gingelly and coconut oil as both allowed (cold-pressed) and forbidden (refined), which confuses many readers.C
All fruit (only in "maintenance")Whole fruit, especially berries, is linked to less diabetes; juice to more[34,35]. Limit very sweet fruit (ripe banana, mango, jackfruit) while controlling sugar; guava, berries, amla, papaya and apple in normal portions are fine.✕

9To love, and to avoid at any cost#

Chart saysVerdictSupport for the chart's claim
"Consume only high-quality fats"Yes, if that means unsaturated oils, nuts, fish and seeds first.B
"Home foods"Yes. In one inpatient trial, ultra-processed food made people eat about 500 kcal a day more[36].B
"Intermittent fasting, mild exercise"Yes, with the limits on the fasting page, and add strength training.B
All sugar: white, cane, palm, honey, jaggery, crystals, sugar substitutesSugar, honey and jaggery: yes, they are all sugar[37]. Sugar substitutes: weaker evidence either way; not the same as sugar.B
All sweets: baked, cakes, fries, confectionery, candyYes.B
All drinks: Pepsi, Coke, Sprite, Tropicana, Bournvita, fruit juicesYes. Sugary drinks carry about 26% higher diabetes risk[38].B
All processed food made from grains: rice, sambar, idli, dosa, vadai, bajji, bonda, chapathi, poori, paratha, appam, pizza, pasta, bread, sandwich, burgerMost of these are high-glycemic and carbohydrate-dense[39], and cutting them is the single biggest change for most Tamil families. "At any cost" is too strong for sambar, which is mostly vegetables and dal.B

10The promised health benefits#

The chart says these were "observed and reported by tamilhealth group members", which makes them testimonials D by definition. Here is what research shows for each:

Claimed benefitWhat research showsSupport for the claim
Reversal of type 2 diabetesRemission is possible and tracks weight loss; low-carb is one route[40,41]. Many relapse over 5 years with any method[42].B
Cholesterol regulationTriglycerides down and HDL up A; LDL up in some people[5].B
Blood pressure regulationModest falls[43].B
Weight lossYes, about as much as other diets over a year[44].A
Fatty liver reductionYes, mostly via weight loss[45].B
Thyroid regulationLow-carb lowers T3 while TSH stays the same[46]; not a treatment.D
Migraine reliefSmall trials of very-low-calorie keto in overweight people[47].C
Gastric and acid reflux reliefCutting sugar helped in one trial[48].C
Psoriasis reliefSingle-arm studies; weight loss helps psoriasis.C
PCOSSmall, short studies[49].C
Mood regulationUncontrolled pilots[50].C
Sound sleep, fresh and energetic, better eyesight, skin cleansing, arthritis relief, increased libidoNo trials found.D
Protection from gestational diabetesNo trials. A low-carb, animal-heavy pattern before pregnancy was linked to more gestational diabetes[51], and low carbohydrate intake around conception to more neural tube defects[52]. Do not follow this chart in pregnancy.✕

11A one-page version that holds up#

  1. Before you start: HbA1c, fasting glucose, lipids with ApoB, one-time Lp(a), kidney with urine ACR, liver, CBC, B12. Review every medicine with your doctor. Retest at 3 months.
  2. Every meal: half vegetables and keerai, a quarter protein (eggs, fish, chicken, paneer, tofu, curd, a small portion of dal), a quarter or less starch.
  3. Zero: sugar, jaggery, honey, sweets, juice, soda, bakery and packaged snacks, vanaspati.
  4. Less: white rice, idli, dosa, chapati, maida, potato. Millets in small portions once sugar is controlled.
  5. Fats: cook in gingelly, groundnut or olive oil; ghee and coconut for flavour; nuts as a handful, not 100 g.
  6. Fruit: one or two portions of guava, berries, amla, papaya or apple. No juice.
  7. Fasting: 12 hours overnight, building to 14 to 16 if you wish, finished by early evening. Never on insulin, sulfonylureas or SGLT2 inhibitors without a doctor's plan.
  8. Move: a 10-minute walk after every meal, brisk activity most days, strength training twice a week.
  9. Not for: pregnancy, breastfeeding, under 18, type 1 diabetes, kidney disease, eating disorders, without specialist care.

Sources on this page

Every source below was checked against its PubMed, DOI or publisher page. Grades and how we use them: evidence grades.

  1. Murdoch C, Unwin D, Cavan D, et al. (2019). Adapting diabetes medication for low carbohydrate management of type 2 diabetes: a practical guide.. Br J Gen Pract 69(684):360-361. PMID 31249097 · doi:10.3399/bjgp19X704525 - Practical guide for GPs; practice-based, not trial evidence
  2. Corley BT, Carroll RW, Hall RM, et al. (2018). Intermittent fasting in Type 2 diabetes mellitus and the risk of hypoglycaemia: a randomized controlled trial.. Diabet Med 35(5):588-594. PMID 29405359 · doi:10.1111/dme.13595 - RCT, fasting days doubled hypoglycaemia (RR 2.05) despite dose reduction
  3. Somagutta MKR, Uday U, Shama N, et al. (2022). Dietary Changes Leading to Euglycemic Diabetic Ketoacidosis in Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter-2 Inhibitor Users: A Challenge for Primary Care Physicians?. Korean J Fam Med 43(6):361-366. PMID 36444120 · doi:10.4082/kjfm.22.0003 - Review of 14 patients with euglycaemic DKA on SGLT2 inhibitors plus keto
  4. Demay MB, Pittas AG, Bikle DD, et al. (2024). Vitamin D for the Prevention of Disease: An Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline.. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 109(8):1907-1947. PMID 38828931 · doi:10.1210/clinem/dgae290 - Endocrine Society clinical practice guideline 2024
  5. Soto-Mota A, Flores-Jurado Y, Norwitz NG, et al. (2024). Increased low-density lipoprotein cholesterol on a low-carbohydrate diet in adults with normal but not high body weight: A meta-analysis.. Am J Clin Nutr 119(3):740-747. PMID 38237807 · doi:10.1016/j.ajcnut.2024.01.009 - Meta-regression of RCTs
  6. Kandaswamy VC, Venkatasubramanian H (2026). Heterogeneous Apolipoprotein B Response to the Paleolithic Diet in South Asian Adults: A Novel Phenotypic Pattern. J Health Sci Med Res 44(5). doi:10.31584/jhsmr.20261326 - Single-arm study, n=232, no control group
  7. Devries MC, Sithamparapillai A, Brimble KS, et al. (2018). Changes in Kidney Function Do Not Differ between Healthy Adults Consuming Higher- Compared with Lower- or Normal-Protein Diets: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.. J Nutr 148(11):1760-1775. PMID 30383278 · doi:10.1093/jn/nxy197 - Meta-analysis
  8. Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) CKD Work Group (2024). KDIGO 2024 Clinical Practice Guideline for the Evaluation and Management of Chronic Kidney Disease.. Kidney Int 105(4S):S117-S314. PMID 38490803 · doi:10.1016/j.kint.2023.10.018 - KDIGO 2024 CKD guideline
  9. Cienfuegos S, Gabel K, Kalam F, et al. (2020). Effects of 4- and 6-h Time-Restricted Feeding on Weight and Cardiometabolic Health: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Adults with Obesity.. Cell Metab 32(3):366-378.e3. PMID 32673591 · doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2020.06.018 - RCT, 4 h vs 6 h vs control, 8 weeks
  10. Stote KS, Baer DJ, Spears K, et al. (2007). A controlled trial of reduced meal frequency without caloric restriction in healthy, normal-weight, middle-aged adults.. Am J Clin Nutr 85(4):981-988. PMID 17413096 · doi:10.1093/ajcn/85.4.981 - Randomized crossover, one vs three meals a day, 8 weeks each
  11. Liu D, Huang Y, Huang C, et al. (2022). Calorie Restriction with or without Time-Restricted Eating in Weight Loss.. N Engl J Med 386(16):1495-1504. PMID 35443107 · doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2114833 - RCT, n=139, 12 months, calorie-matched
  12. Semnani-Azad Z, Khan TA, Chiavaroli L, et al. (2025). Intermittent fasting strategies and their effects on body weight and other cardiometabolic risk factors: systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised clinical trials.. BMJ 389:e082007. PMID 40533200 · doi:10.1136/bmj-2024-082007 - Network meta-analysis, 99 RCTs, 6,582 adults; one co-author affiliated with an advocacy group (PCRM)
  13. Webb AR, Kline L, Holick MF (1988). Influence of season and latitude on the cutaneous synthesis of vitamin D3: exposure to winter sunlight in Boston and Edmonton will not promote vitamin D3 synthesis in human skin.. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 67(2):373-378. PMID 2839537 · doi:10.1210/jcem-67-2-373 - Measurement study by latitude and season
  14. Clemens TL, Adams JS, Henderson SL, et al. (1982). Increased skin pigment reduces the capacity of skin to synthesise vitamin D3.. Lancet 1(8263):74-76. PMID 6119494 · doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(82)90214-8 - Small physiology study, n=5
  15. Setayesh L, Haghighat N, Rasaei N, et al. (2023). The impact of Emblica Officinalis (Amla) on lipid profile, glucose, and C-reactive protein: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.. Diabetes Metab Syndr 17(3):102729. PMID 36934568 · doi:10.1016/j.dsx.2023.102729 - Meta-analysis, 5 RCTs, 3 to 12 weeks
  16. Usharani P, Merugu PL, Nutalapati C (2019). Evaluation of the effects of a standardized aqueous extract of Phyllanthus emblica fruits on endothelial dysfunction, oxidative stress, systemic inflammation and lipid profile in subjects with metabolic syndrome: a randomised, double blind, placebo controlled clinical study.. BMC Complement Altern Med 19(1):97. PMID 31060549 · doi:10.1186/s12906-019-2509-5 - RCT, n=59, 12 weeks; extract maker supplied product
  17. Li L, Li H, Gao Y, et al. (2023). Effect of flaxseed supplementation on blood pressure: a systematic review, and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.. Food Funct 14(2):675-690. PMID 36622248 · doi:10.1039/d2fo02566c - Meta-analysis, 33 trials
  18. Plourde M, Cunnane SC (2007). Extremely limited synthesis of long chain polyunsaturates in adults: implications for their dietary essentiality and use as supplements.. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab 32(4):619-634. PMID 17622276 · doi:10.1139/H07-034 - Review of ALA conversion
  19. Arterburn LM, Oken HA, Bailey Hall E, et al. (2008). Algal-oil capsules and cooked salmon: nutritionally equivalent sources of docosahexaenoic acid.. J Am Diet Assoc 108(7):1204-1209. PMID 18589030 · doi:10.1016/j.jada.2008.04.020 - Bioequivalence study; authors linked to algal oil maker per literature
  20. Bull FC, Al-Ansari SS, Biddle S, et al. (2020). World Health Organization 2020 guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour.. Br J Sports Med 54(24):1451-1462. PMID 33239350 · doi:10.1136/bjsports-2020-102955 - WHO 2020 guidelines
  21. Reynolds AN, Mann JI, Williams S, et al. (2016). Advice to walk after meals is more effective for lowering postprandial glycaemia in type 2 diabetes mellitus than advice that does not specify timing: a randomised crossover study.. Diabetologia 59(12):2572-2578. PMID 27747394 · doi:10.1007/s00125-016-4085-2 - Randomized crossover, n=41, type 2 diabetes
  22. Iliodromiti S, Ghouri N, Celis-Morales CA, et al. (2016). Should Physical Activity Recommendations for South Asian Adults Be Ethnicity-Specific? Evidence from a Cross-Sectional Study of South Asian and White European Men and Women.. PLoS One 11(8):e0160024. PMID 27529339 · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0160024 - Cross-sectional, men and women
  23. Seidelmann SB, Claggett B, Cheng S, et al. (2018). Dietary carbohydrate intake and mortality: a prospective cohort study and meta-analysis.. Lancet Public Health 3(9):e419-e428. PMID 30122560 · doi:10.1016/S2468-2667(18)30135-X - ARIC cohort plus meta-analysis
  24. Shan Z, Guo Y, Hu FB, et al. (2020). Association of Low-Carbohydrate and Low-Fat Diets With Mortality Among US Adults.. JAMA Intern Med 180(4):513-523. PMID 31961383 · doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2019.6980 - Cohort, NHANES
  25. Neelakantan N, Seah JYH, van Dam RM (2020). The Effect of Coconut Oil Consumption on Cardiovascular Risk Factors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Clinical Trials.. Circulation 141(10):803-814. PMID 31928080 · doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.119.043052 - Meta-analysis of 16 RCTs
  26. Companys J, Pla-Pagà L, Calderón-Pérez L, et al. (2020). Fermented Dairy Products, Probiotic Supplementation, and Cardiometabolic Diseases: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.. Adv Nutr 11(4):834-863. PMID 32277831 · doi:10.1093/advances/nmaa030 - Meta-analysis of 20 cohorts and 52 RCTs
  27. Longvah T, Ananthan R, Bhaskarachary K, Venkaiah K (2017). Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. National Institute of Nutrition, ICMR, Hyderabad. Link - Values read from a machine-readable transcription; spot-check against the NIN PDF
  28. Bhavadharini B, Mohan V, Dehghan M, et al. (2020). White Rice Intake and Incident Diabetes: A Study of 132,373 Participants in 21 Countries.. Diabetes Care 43(11):2643-2650. PMID 32873587 · doi:10.2337/dc19-2335 - PURE cohort, 132,373 people, 21 countries
  29. Aune D, Keum N, Giovannucci E, et al. (2016). Whole grain consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and all cause and cause specific mortality: systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies.. BMJ 353:i2716. PMID 27301975 · doi:10.1136/bmj.i2716 - Dose-response meta-analysis of cohorts
  30. Reynolds A, Mann J, Cummings J, et al. (2019). Carbohydrate quality and human health: a series of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.. Lancet 393(10170):434-445. PMID 30638909 · doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(18)31809-9 - WHO-commissioned meta-analyses, 185 cohorts and 58 trials
  31. Ha V, Sievenpiper JL, de Souza RJ, et al. (2014). Effect of dietary pulse intake on established therapeutic lipid targets for cardiovascular risk reduction: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.. CMAJ 186(8):E252-62. PMID 24710915 · doi:10.1503/cmaj.131727 - Meta-analysis of RCTs on pulses and LDL
  32. Shi L, Arntfield SD, Nickerson M (2018). Changes in levels of phytic acid, lectins and oxalates during soaking and cooking of Canadian pulses.. Food Res Int 107:660-668. PMID 29580532 · doi:10.1016/j.foodres.2018.02.056 - Lab study of soaking and cooking pulses
  33. Farvid MS, Ding M, Pan A, et al. (2014). Dietary linoleic acid and risk of coronary heart disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies.. Circulation 130(18):1568-1578. PMID 25161045 · doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.114.010236 - Meta-analysis of cohorts
  34. Muraki I, Imamura F, Manson JE, et al. (2013). Fruit consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes: results from three prospective longitudinal cohort studies.. BMJ 347:f5001. PMID 23990623 · doi:10.1136/bmj.f5001 - Three US cohorts, 12,198 diabetes cases
  35. Bazzano LA, Li TY, Joshipura KJ, et al. (2008). Intake of fruit, vegetables, and fruit juices and risk of diabetes in women.. Diabetes Care 31(7):1311-1317. PMID 18390796 · doi:10.2337/dc08-0080 - Cohort, 71,346 nurses
  36. Hall KD, Ayuketah A, Brychta R, et al. (2019). Ultra-Processed Diets Cause Excess Calorie Intake and Weight Gain: An Inpatient Randomized Controlled Trial of Ad Libitum Food Intake.. Cell Metab 30(1):67-77.e3. PMID 31105044 · doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2019.05.008 - Inpatient randomized crossover, n=20
  37. World Health Organization (2015). Guideline: Sugars intake for adults and children. WHO, Geneva. Link - WHO guideline
  38. Malik VS, Popkin BM, Bray GA, et al. (2010). Sugar-sweetened beverages and risk of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes: a meta-analysis.. Diabetes Care 33(11):2477-2483. PMID 20693348 · doi:10.2337/dc10-1079 - Meta-analysis of cohorts, 310,819 people
  39. Shakappa D, Naik R, Sobhana PP (2022). Glycemic carbohydrates, glycemic index, and glycemic load of commonly consumed South Indian breakfast foods.. J Food Sci Technol 59(9):3619-3626. PMID 35875218 · doi:10.1007/s13197-022-05368-6 - GI study, NIN Hyderabad, n=10
  40. Goldenberg JZ, Day A, Brinkworth GD, et al. (2021). Efficacy and safety of low and very low carbohydrate diets for type 2 diabetes remission: systematic review and meta-analysis of published and unpublished randomized trial data.. BMJ 372:m4743. PMID 33441384 · doi:10.1136/bmj.m4743 - Meta-analysis, 23 RCTs, 1,357 people
  41. Unwin D, Delon C, Unwin J, et al. (2023). What predicts drug-free type 2 diabetes remission? Insights from an 8-year general practice service evaluation of a lower carbohydrate diet with weight loss.. BMJ Nutr Prev Health 6(1):46-55. PMID 37559961 · doi:10.1136/bmjnph-2022-000544 - Service evaluation in one UK practice, self-selected, non-randomized
  42. Lean ME, Leslie WS, Barnes AC, et al. (2024). 5-year follow-up of the randomised Diabetes Remission Clinical Trial (DiRECT) of continued support for weight loss maintenance in the UK: an extension study.. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol 12(4):233-246. PMID 38423026 · doi:10.1016/S2213-8587(23)00385-6 - DiRECT 5-year extension
  43. Amini MR, Askarpour M, Ghalandari H, et al. (2024). Effect of ketogenic diet on blood pressure: A GRADE-Assessed systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis 34(4):823-837. PMID 38310076 · doi:10.1016/j.numecd.2023.12.004 - Meta-analysis, 23 RCTs
  44. Gardner CD, Trepanowski JF, Del Gobbo LC, et al. (2018). Effect of Low-Fat vs Low-Carbohydrate Diet on 12-Month Weight Loss in Overweight Adults and the Association With Genotype Pattern or Insulin Secretion: The DIETFITS Randomized Clinical Trial.. JAMA 319(7):667-679. PMID 29466592 · doi:10.1001/jama.2018.0245 - DIETFITS RCT, 12 months
  45. Bueno NB, Dos Santos Silva MM, de Melo ISV (2020). Low-carbohydrate diets and intrahepatic lipid content in individuals with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: Evidence from a meta-analysis of randomized trials.. Clin Nutr 39(1):310-311. PMID 31791671 · doi:10.1016/j.clnu.2019.11.026 - Short research letter reporting a meta-analysis of RCTs
  46. Iacovides S, Maloney SK, Bhana S, et al. (2022). Could the ketogenic diet induce a shift in thyroid function and support a metabolic advantage in healthy participants? A pilot randomized-controlled-crossover trial.. PLoS One 17(6):e0269440. PMID 35658056 · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0269440 - Randomized crossover, n=11, 3 weeks
  47. Di Lorenzo C, Pinto A, Ienca R, et al. (2019). A Randomized Double-Blind, Cross-Over Trial of very Low-Calorie Diet in Overweight Migraine Patients: A Possible Role for Ketones?. Nutrients 11(8):1742. PMID 31357685 · doi:10.3390/nu11081742 - Double-blind crossover RCT
  48. Gu C, Olszewski T, King KL, et al. (2022). The Effects of Modifying Amount and Type of Dietary Carbohydrate on Esophageal Acid Exposure Time and Esophageal Reflux Symptoms: A Randomized Controlled Trial.. Am J Gastroenterol 117(10):1655-1667. PMID 35973185 · doi:10.14309/ajg.0000000000001889 - RCT, n=98
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