Recent research suggests that fasting could potentially reverse type 2 diabetes and eliminate the need for insulin while controlling blood glucose levels. The study, published in BMJ Case Reports, indicates that planned intermittent fasting may help to reverse type 2 diabetes after three patients were able to completely stop their insulin treatment.
Intermittent fasting has gained popularity as a diet method through plans like Dr Michael Mosley’s Fast 800.
Lifestyle changes are crucial in managing the disease, but they can’t always control blood glucose levels on their own. While gastric band surgery is effective, it’s not without risks, doctors warn.
They also note that while drugs can manage symptoms and help prevent complications, they can’t halt the disease’s progression.
Three men, aged between 40 and 67, tested planned intermittent fasting to see if it could alleviate their symptoms. They were all taking various medications to manage their disease, along with daily doses of insulin, reports Gloucestershire Live.
In addition to type 2 diabetes, they all had high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
Two of the men fasted every other day for a full 24 hours, while the third fasted for three days a week. On ‘fast days’, they were permitted to consume very low-calorie drinks such as tea, coffee, water or broth, and to eat one very low-calorie meal in the evening.
Before starting their fasting routine, the participants underwent a six-hour nutritional training seminar covering diabetes development, its effects on the body, insulin resistance, healthy eating, and managing diabetes with diet, including therapeutic fasting.
After following the fasting pattern for roughly 10 months, they saw improvements in fasting blood glucose, average blood glucose, weight, and waist size. Remarkably, all three men stopped needing insulin injections within a month of beginning their fasts, with one individual ceasing after just five days.
Two of the trio managed to quit taking all other diabetes medications, while the third stopped three out of four drugs. They all experienced significant weight lossbetween 10% and 18% of their body weightand showed reduced fasting and average blood glucose levels, which researchers believe could reduce future complication risks.
The study’s lead, Dr Jason Fung from Scarborough Hospital in Ontario, Canada, commented: “Feedback was positive, with all three men managing to stick to their dietary schedule without too much difficulty. This is an observational study, and refers to just three cases – all in men.”
He cautioned: “As such, it isn’t possible to draw firm conclusions about the wider success or otherwise of this approach for treating type 2 diabetes.”
However, he stated: “The use of a therapeutic fasting regimen for treatment of type 2 diabetes is virtually unheard of. This present case series showed that 24-hour fasting regimens can significantly reverse or eliminate the need for diabetic medication.”