Type 2 diabetes is characterized by bad eating habits and a poor lifestyle, which can result in hyperglycemia and ultimately in a chronic disease that requires insulin therapy. Is it possible to treat it at the dinner table?
SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH EXPLAINS HOW TO MAKE DIABETES REGRESS WITH DIET
A clinical study published in the journal The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology in March 2019 showed that the disease can be reversed with changes to eating habits. 300 patients were examined and followed up for two years. They were either obese or overweight, with a type 2 diabetes diagnosis of <6 years and not on insulin therapy. The participants were then divided into two groups: the first one received standard of care, with insulin, and the second received no drug therapy, but underwent nutritional changes instead. Specifically, a low-calorie diet was provided for a period of 12-20 weeks. At the end of the first cycle, various foods were gradually reintroduced back to the diet. Clinical data for this group of patients undergoing calorie restriction showed a total remission of diabetes. This was sustained in 1 in 3 subjects even in the two years post-study. In practice, 11% of the individuals who had followed the low-calorie nutritional intervention maintained a reduction in body weight of at least 15kg, and as many as 36% benefited from a complete remission of disease without having to take insulin therapy.
Further analyses revealed that the percentage of remission increased to 64% in subjects who had maintained a >10kg weight loss. This underlines how important it is to maintain a healthy body weight to have long lasting results.
THE SOLUTION TO CURE DIABETES IS AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE
This study highlights how important it is to follow a healthy and balanced diet, both for the prevention of diseases and for their treatment (when pharmacological therapies are not needed and/or to support them and keep them from getting worse). As far as type 2 diabetes, the indications are to make simple changes to your diet. The following are a couple of rules that are easy to follow and implement: reduce or eliminate simple sugars, consume whole grains, meet protein requitements for your age, and consume vegetables daily (avoiding those with a high glycemic value). However, the best recommendation for diabetic patients is to get professional help from a doctor or nutritionist who can create an individualized diet plan, and to exercise daily.
SOURCES
Lean MEJ, Leslie WS, Barnes AC et Al. – Durability of a Primary Care-Led Weight-Management Intervention for Remission of Type 2 Diabetes: 2-Year Results of the Direct Open-Label, Cluster-Randomised Trial – The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinol. 2019 Mar. 5
