Chris Webster, PhD candidate is a health scientist whose research focuses on the physiology of adaptation to low carbohydrate high fat (LCHF) diets. In his PhD, he characterizes the health, diets, eating behaviors, and perceptions and experiences of individuals with type 2 diabetes who self-selected and sustained their versions of LCHF diets in a real-world setting. He also uses stable isotope tracers for the quantification of gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis in type 2 diabetes patients in response to a meal. Future research plans involve the use of these techniques to investigate the effects of LCHF diets on gluconeogenesis in poorly controlled type 2 diabetes patients.
Chris has an exercise science background and previously investigated gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis in well-trained athletes who habitually followed LCHF diets. South Africa faces some unique nutritional problems and his wider research group is investigating the challenges and effectiveness of bringing some LCHF diet principles into impoverished communities. He is the recipient of a PhD scholarship from The Noakes Foundation and a contributor to the Nutrition Network.
