Intermittent fasting can cure type 2 diabetes.
According to one study, people with diabetes who fast intermittently may no longer need medication.
According to a new study published in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, after an intermittent fasting diet intervention, patients achieved complete remission of diabetes, defined as an HbA1c ( mean blood sugar ) level of less than 6.5 percent. at least one year after stopping diabetes medications,
“Type 2 diabetes is not necessarily a permanent, lifelong disease. Diabetes remission is possible if patients lose weight by changing their eating and exercise habits,” said Dongbo Liu, of Hunan Agricultural University in Changsha, China. “Our research demonstrates that intermittent fasting, the Chinese Medical Nutritional Therapy (CMNT), can lead to remission of diabetes in people with type 2 diabetes. These findings could have a major impact on the more than 537 million adults who suffer from this disease all over the world.
Researchers conducted a 3-month intermittent fasting dietary intervention on 36 people with diabetes and found that nearly 90 percent of the participants, including those on blood sugar-lowering medications and insulin, reduced their intake. diabetes meds after fasting. Of these, 55% experienced remission of their diabetes, even discontinuing their medications
The study challenges the conventional wisdom that diabetes remission can only be achieved in those with the shortest duration of diabetes (0-6 years). 65% of study participants who achieved remission had a diabetes duration of more than 6 years (6-11 years).
“Diabetes medications are expensive and a barrier for many patients trying to effectively manage their diabetes. Our study saw a 77 percent reduction in drug costs in people with diabetes after intermittent fasting,” Liu said.
- Effect of an Intermittent Calorie-restricted Diet on Type 2 Diabetes Remission: A Randomized Controlled Trial (academic.oup.com)
