Diets in Type 1 Diabetes Study Research | Overview
A clinical trial conducted at Boston Children's Hospital currently recruiting participants with type 1 diabetes.
The Diets in Diabetes Study
We are studying how the carbohydrate content of the diet affects blood glucose control and brain function in patients with Type 1 Diabetes.
- Are you between the ages of 18 and 40?
- Have you had type 1 diabetes for at least one year?
- Are you using a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) and insulin pump?
- Is your hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) between 6.5 and 9 percent?
If you answered "yes" to all the questions, you may be eligible to participate in the Diets in Diabetes Study.
The study involves:
- Consuming foods given to you by the study team for 12 weeks. Study meals will be delivered to your home by a company specializing in food delivery. You will be randomly assigned to receive one of two different diets: the standard carbohydrate diet, which follows routine dietary recommendations for diabetes, or the very low carbohydrate (ketogenic) diet, which provides a reduced amount of carbohydrate.
- Up to five weekday in-person study visits at Boston Children’s Hospital or Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center over the course of 12 weeks. Most visits take about one to two hours, and some involve a blood draw.
- Two of the visits take longer, about four to five hours, and involve IV placements, frequent blood draws, and a glucagon injection or MRI studies of your brain during hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). One of these visits may include a ketone drink.
You will receive:
- free home delivery of all your meals for 12 weeks
- intensive diabetes management and medical supervision
- free parking or travel reimbursement for the study visits and compensation up to $1,300.
Eligibility criteria include:
- age 18 to 40
- type 1 diabetes for at least one year
- BMI between 18.5-35 kg/m2
- stable glycemic control (HbA1c = 6.5-9 percent)
- current use of a CGM and insulin pump
- attendance of at least one diabetes care visit with your diabetes doctor and/or diabetes nurse educator in the past year (including virtual)
- For more details on who can participate in the study, see the "who is eligible?" section on the study details page.
Interested in participating? Have questions?
Please call us at 617-355-7322 or email us, or complete our contact form here for more information. We would love to hear from you.

Study Details
Learn more about this clinical trial and eligibility criteria on our study details page.

Have Questions?
Please visit our frequently asked questions page. You can also contact the study team at 617-355-7322, email us, or complete our contact form here for more information.

Our Study Team
Meet the members of our team

External Links
See information on our study on ClinicalTrials.gov and the Boston Children’s Hospital Clinical Trial Finder.
Published journal articles
Carbohydrate restriction for diabetes: rediscovering centuries-old wisdom
Management of Type 1 Diabetes With a Very Low–Carbohydrate Diet