Diabetes remission through intermittent calorie-restricted diet

Tailored: Antidiabetic drug doses were adjusted during the study according to blood glucose levels.

a In a small randomized controlled trial using an intermittent calorie-restricted diet in people with type 2 diabetes, nearly 50 participants in the intervention group had % were able to achieve remission. The trial lasted three months. At 12 months of follow-up, he was also in remission in 44% of the participants. All participants who achieved remission had completely stopped taking medications to control blood sugar, and the remission lasted at least 1 year.

Even with the more stringent criteria for complete remission, a return to normal measurements of glucose metabolism (HbA1c in the normal range, fasting blood glucose 100 mg/dL) in the absence of anticancer drugs for at least 1 year is expected. is showing. His 33.3% (12/36) of participants in the diabetes medication, intervention group achieved complete remission.

Although many studies have examined the efficacy and benefits of intermittent fasting in people with type 2 diabetes, to date, no clinical trials have investigated the effectiveness of intermittent fasting in achieving remission.

In this study, remission was defined as stable HbA1c levels <6.5% (48 mmol/mol) after stopping antidiabetic drugs for at least 3 months. During the trial, the dose of antidiabetic drugs was adjusted according to blood glucose levels.

The test results are Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

The trial was conducted with 72 participants, 36 of whom were assigned to the intervention group and the remaining 36 participants were the control group. Participants’ ages ranged from 38 to 72 years, and her duration of type 2 diabetes ranged from 1 to 11 years. Their body mass index (BMI) ranged from 19.1 to 30.4 and they were taking antidiabetic drugs and/or insulin.

Participants in the intervention group received the Chinese Medicine Nutrition Therapy (CMNT) diet, followed by 5 days of intermittent fasting, followed by 10 days of daily food ad libitum. After 6 cycles of intermittent fasting, participants were allowed to eat ad libitum during the 3-month study period. The CMNT diet includes daily foods such as wheat, barley, rice, rye and oats, and is characterized by low glycemic load, calories and carbohydrates.

The authors found that participants prescribed fewer antidiabetic medications were more likely to achieve diabetes remission than those taking more medications to control blood sugar. However, duration of type 2 diabetes did not affect participants’ diabetes remission.

by email to hinduDr. Dongbo Liu, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China, and one of the corresponding authors said: Alternate between periods of calorie restriction and periods of free eating. ”

According to Dr. Liu, a potential mechanism of CMNT to achieve remission is through improvement of islet cell function, intestinal flora, and hepatic glucose metabolism. This will allow the participant to return to a normal diet after her 3-month trial period. Explaining why his remaining 56% of participants in the intervention arm did not reach remission, Dr. Liu said: in individual physical condition. As such, intervention cycles can be flexibly adapted to practical applications and extended to allow more people to achieve remission. ”

“Outside China, individuals wishing to achieve remission of type 2 diabetes on an intermittent low-calorie diet should include five modified fasting days (approximately 840 kcal/day, 46% carbohydrate, 46% fat, 8% protein). The diet can be followed, and during the next 10 days of the free-feeding period, he or she will be free to eat according to his or her dietary habits,” Dr. Liu said.

Explaining how easy it was for participants and those outside the study to follow the CMNT diet, he said: Dr. Liu said, citing why participants found it easier to adhere to his CMNT diet and complete the study: Second, the CMNT diet is a food-based diet rather than a meal replacement diet that eliminates virtually all regular foods. Finally, the CMNT diet is characterized by the ability to engage in habitual social eating patterns at preferred times.

Participants were followed continuously, although the published paper only has 1-year follow-up data. According to Dr. Liu, all participants to date have had 2 years of follow-up, and he has had more than 5 years of follow-up to investigate the effects of the CMNT diet on stability and complications. in progress. Scientists plan further research and trials involving more participants living in wider geographic regions, and his CMNT digital medical product for diabetes, which combines biotechnology and information technology, is underway. is.