Middle aged man with type 2 diabetes using blood sugar measurement device to monitor type 2 diabetes
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Research from Central South University in China shows it could be possible for people with type 2 diabetes to stop treatment and achieve diabetes remission by following an intermittent fasting diet.

Unlike type 1 diabetes, which is autoimmune in nature and not currently possible to reverse, the metabolic element of type 2 diabetes means lifestyle and dietary changes can have a significant positive impact on symptoms and can even induce remission. However, previous studies have suggested this kind of intervention needs to happen early in the disease process to have the best effects.

Intermittent fasting diets have become popular as a method to lose weight in recent years. They involve short periods of fasting. For example, individuals following such a diet may have several days during the week where they only eat one meal, or periods of time where they don’t eat.

In this study, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, the researchers placed 72 individuals with type 2 diabetes on an intermittent fasting diet or control diet for three months in a 1:1 randomization. Some of the participants were taking diabetes medication or insulin at the start of the study.

After a further three months follow-up, 17 of 36 participants in the intervention diet group had remission of their diabetes—defined as a stable glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level of less than 48 mmol/mol (<6.5%) and no medication use—versus only one person in the control group. Others in the fasting group also achieved beneficial effects such as weight loss, medication lowering and blood glucose reduction.

To assess whether this effect was maintained, the participants were also tested at 12 months and 16 of the 17 participants who were in remission at three months had maintained a healthy HbA1c level.

“Type 2 diabetes is not necessarily a permanent, lifelong disease. Diabetes remission is possible if patients lose weight by changing their diet and exercise habits,” said co-lead author Dongbo Liu, of Hunan Agricultural University in Changsha, China, in a press statement.

“Our research shows an intermittent fasting, Chinese Medical Nutrition Therapy, can lead to diabetes remission in people with type 2 diabetes, and these findings could have a major impact on the over 537 million adults worldwide who suffer from the disease.”

Notably, this study challenges the view that dietary interventions can only have a positive effect early on in the progression of type 2 diabetes, as 65% of those who achieved remission had a diabetes duration of more than six years.

More research is needed to confirm these findings, but they show intermittent fasting could be a promising dietary option for people with type 2 diabetes in the future.

“Diabetes medications are costly and a barrier for many patients who are trying to effectively manage their diabetes. Our study saw medication costs decrease by 77% in people with diabetes after intermittent fasting,” Liu said.

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