Defiant Health Radio with Dr. William Davis

Dr. Eric Westman on the Power of Limiting Carbohydrates to Reverse Type 2 Diabetes; Cholesterol is not a disease

6 snips

Mar 4, 2025

Dr. Eric Westman, a renowned physician and researcher specializing in low-carb and ketogenic diets, discusses his groundbreaking trials that challenge conventional dietary guidelines for type 2 diabetes. He reveals how a very low-carb diet has helped participants reduce dependency on insulin and improve blood glucose levels. The conversation touches on the importance of quality foods, dietary education for healthcare providers, and the often-overlooked role of fats and cholesterol. Westman urges a reevaluation of our understanding of food addiction and the benefits of personalized dietary approaches.

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ANECDOTE

Low-Carb Diet Reverses Diabetes

Dr. Eric Westman's low-carb ketogenic diet study showed many type 2 diabetics no longer needed insulin or most diabetic drugs.
This study was groundbreaking yet underrecognized, proving carb limitation improves diabetes control or reverses it.

INSIGHT

Carbs as an Addiction

Sugar and starch often act like addictive substances that drive continuous consumption despite negative consequences.
Addiction models can help explain resistance and aid therapy for those struggling with carb-related diseases.

INSIGHT

Cholesterol and Fat Reevaluated

Increasing fat intake on a low-carb diet does not lead to cardiovascular problems as once feared.
High LDL on low-carb doesn't always worsen atherosclerosis, challenging conventional cholesterol and statin assumptions.

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I first met Dr. Eric Westman at a low-carbohydrate meeting a number of years ago where he discussed an extremely important and insightful human clinical trial he had conducted in which he counseled participants with type 2 diabetes to follow a very low-carbohydrate, essentially ketogenic, diet. He was almost prohibited from conducted the study because some colleagues felt it was too dangerous. Nonetheless, the study was completed and demonstrated that type 2 diabetic participants no longer needed insulin and most diabetes drugs while achieving improved blood glucose measures by engaging in a lifestyle that was the direct opposite of conventional dietary advice. As groundbreaking as this study was for its time, it is simply not talked about enough, as it is one of the most important pieces of evidence that validates the idea that limiting carbohydrates and sugars, not fats or saturated fats, is key to, in this case, improving diabetes control, even helping make many people non-diabetic. I therefore thought it would be a good idea to ask Dr. Westman to describe his rationale for the study, discuss the results, and share the lessons he has learned since then.

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Super Gut: The 4-Week Plan to Reprogram Your Microbiome, Restore Health, and Lose Weight

Wheat Belly: Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight and Find Your Path Back to Health; revised & expanded ed