Type 2 diabetes cured by extreme dieting

A study featured in Diabetologia provides evidence that type 2 diabetes may be reversed by a 600-calorie diet that lowers liver and pancreatic cat levels.

Type 2 diabetes has been regarded as a chronic disease that only gets worse as times goes on. People with type 2 diabetes are unable to produce working or adequate levels of insulin, which leads to glucose buildup. Without daily insulin injections and proper exercise, high blood sugar levels can lead to heart attacks, stroke, kidney failure, vision loss, and circulation problems that could result in amputation.

The study, conducted at Newcastle University in the UK, hypothesized that type 2 diabetes could be reversed through “acute negative energy balance,” or an extreme drop in caloric intake. The dietary restriction was expected to make the body use fat from the pancreas and liver, fat that inhibited insulin production and thus raised glucose levels.

The hypothesis was based on observations that diabetic individuals who undergo bariatric surgery (such as stomach stapling) would recover from their diabetic condition after the sudden weight loss.

Eleven participants with type 2 diabetes underwent a 600-calorie diet, eating diet drinks and vegetables, for eight weeks. They were monitored heavily during the diet, and afterwards they were allowed to return to their normal eating habits. Seven out of the group stayed diabetes-free.

While the diet trial did not bear 100% results, a majority recovering from a condition previously considered to be incurable indicates how well we understand the disease and determines how research in the future will be directed towards finding an even better cure.

Via: BBC, The Guardian

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