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According to a new study from the University of Pittsburg Medical, a very low calorie diet helps patients with diabetes control their blood sugar.
After 6 months, 12% of the participants were in remission, which meant they could manage their blood sugar without drugs.
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This diet was especially helpful for those who lost the most weight, the researchers found. A follow-up study is planned to determine the long-term effectiveness of the program.
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A low-calorie diet can help patients with diabetes control blood sugar without medication and even achieve remission. This emerges from new research presented at the ObesityWeek virtual conference from 2 to 6 November.
According to Evan Keller, a University of Pittsburgh medical student who led the research, rigorously reducing calories can help diabetic patients by improving insulin sensitivity and reducing the load on the pancreas, the insulin that produces insulin. becomes.
The study tracked data from 88 patients with diabetes who successfully completed the university’s weight loss program. Patients consumed 600-800 calories per day from high-protein meal replacement shakes for three months. They then gradually reintroduced other foods while maintaining a calorie deficit and avoiding foods that raise blood sugar levels, such as processed or sugary foods.
At the end of the program, 12% of patients had diabetes in full remission, which meant they could control their blood sugar without the use of drugs. Another 11% of patients were in partial remission and could take fewer medications.
“We found that the program provides effective diabetes control with or without drugs,” Keller said in the presentation.
Patients who lost the most weight saw the greatest benefits for blood sugar control, he added. On average, patients lost 17.3% of their original body weight by the end of the program. However, patients in the group with the highest weight loss showed significantly greater improvements in glycemic control than patients with the lowest amount of weight.
Keller said these results are promising, but the next phase of the research aims to monitor patients over a 12-month period of the diet program to evaluate its effectiveness over time.
“People want to see the long-term data and see if this diabetes remission is truly self-sufficient,” he said.
This type of low-calorie diet is sometimes referred to as a diet that mimics fasting because it has similar effects to eating completely without food. Previous studies suggest that limiting calorie intake through fasting may also help diabetics manage insulin sensitivity and blood sugar.
In a July case study, a 57-year-old woman successfully treated her diabetes without drugs through a combination of fasting, calorie reduction, and a ketogenic diet.
The patient in this study burned 1,500 calories a day four days a week and fasted regularly, sometimes for 42 hours.
Four weeks after starting the diet, the patient was able to stop taking medications such as metformim, an antihypertensive agent and a statin while monitoring her blood sugar level.
Four months after starting the program, her blood sugar levels had improved significantly even without the drug.
While these results are promising, diets that severely limit calories for long periods of time can be risky. Severe calorie restrictions can lead to muscle wasting and fatigue, along with feelings of cold, hunger, and irritability.
In extreme cases, it can also lead to serious health consequences, such as irregular heartbeat, dizziness, dangerously low blood pressure, and even loss of consciousness, which can potentially lead to injury or death.
Intense calorie restriction can also be harmful for people with a history of eating disorders.
Therefore, anyone interested in a calorie restricted diet should consult a doctor and follow up regularly to make sure the diet is followed as safely as possible.
Keep reading:
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One woman has successfully used the keto diet and intermittent fasting to control her diabetes without medication
The keto diet can help people with diabetes manage their blood sugar levels
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