­Very-Low-Calorie Diet Could Reverse Type 2 Diabetes

A 2-month, very-low-calorie, mostly liquid diet can help patients with type 2 diabetes to achieve remission, according to a new study.

Because a controlled diet is known to help normalize blood glucose levels in some patients with type 2 diabetes, researchers wondered whether this change could be maintained in the long term.
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For their study, researchers recruited 30 patients who had had type 2 diabetes for 6 months to 23 years to adhere to a very-low-calorie diet for 2 months. Patients started on a mostly liquid diet of 600 to 700 calories per day and gradually returned to an isocaloric diet—typically used by bodybuilders to maintain muscle but lose fat.

Researchers measured glucose control, insulin sensitivity and secretion, and hepatic and pancreas fat content at baseline, after returning to an isocaloric diet, and after 6 months.

To be deemed a responder to the diet, patients had to achieve a fasting blood glucose level of less than 7 mmol/L.

After follow-up, participants lost between 98 kg to 84 kg of body weight. Of the 30 total participants, 12 had achieved a normal fasting plasma glucose level of less than 7 mmol/L after returning to an isocaloric diet, and 13 had achieved a normal level after 6 months.

“A robust and sustainable weight loss program achieved continuing remission of diabetes for at least 6 months in the 40% who responded to a very-low-calorie diet by achieving fasting plasma glucose of <7 mmol/L. Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a potentially reversible condition,” researchers concluded.

—Amanda Balbi

Reference:

Steven S, Hollingsworth KG, Al-Mrabeh A, et al. Very-low-calorie diet and 6 months of weight stability in type 2 diabetes: Pathophysiologic changes in responders and nonresponders [published online March 21, 2016]. Diabetes Care. doi:10.2337/dc15-1942.