“reversing” Type 2 Diabetes
Can It Be Done? Health professionals usually call Type 2 diabetes a chronic, progressive illness. “Chronic” means you’ll always have it. “Progressive” means you will almost certainly get worse. The best you can hope for is to slow its progression through your diet, exercise, and oral medicine or insulin. The diagnosis of a chronic, progressive condition can feel like having a curse put on you. If you have to get worse, if you can’t avoid complications and premature death, then why struggle with your diet and managing your diabetes? In the words of Jenny Ruhl, a blogger with LADA (latent autoimmune diabetes of adults, sometimes called “Type 1.5” diabetes), “If there is nothing you can do, it is rational behavior to shift your energy elsewhere and enjoy life – including the foods you love – while you can.” Although experts have called both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes “chronic” and “progressive” for decades, some people with diabetes disagree. A Diabetes Self-Management Blog reader named Dennis wrote, “Last November I weighed 288 [pounds] with an [HbA1c level] of 7.1%. Diabetic complications had set in. Today, with a very low-carbohydrate diet, my [HbA1c level] is 5.6%. I’ve lost 35 pounds, my sugars are under control, and all my symptoms are gone!” (The HbA1c test gives an indication of average blood glucose level over the past 2–3 months. The American Diabetes Association advises most people with diabetes to aim for an HbA1c level below 7% to prevent complications.) On the same note, a reader named Bob wrote, “By limiting carbs, my [HbA1c level] dropped from an 8.6% to a most recent reading of 4.9%.” And Terri posted, “I am a diabetic who eats a low-carb vegan diet. I am far healthier now at 53 than ever before and maintain pe Continue reading >>
How To Reverse Diabetes Through Diet And Exercise – A Blueprint For Success
In this article, I’d like to share the story of another one of my diabetic clients, Larry Gershon, who reversed type 2 diabetes following my evidence-based whole foods nutrition and fitness coaching program. Larry has an amazing story, and has made an incredible turn around by adopting powerful and extremely effective lifestyle habits. Life Before January 2013 Prior to January 2013, Larry was overweight and he knew it. At 5’8”, he weighed almost 200 pounds, more than 45 pounds over his target body weight of 155 pounds. He had been prediabetic for many years, with a fasting blood sugar between 100-110 mg/dL (normal fasting blood sugars are be between 70-100mg/dL). In addition, Larry had high blood pressure and an elevated cholesterol level of 200 mg/dL. These 3 indicators were silent signs that Larry’s lifestyle needed a serious overhaul. January 2013: Diagnosis with Lung Cancer In January of 2013 after battling intense cold and flu-like symptoms, Larry checked himself into the urgent care unit at the local medical center. The doctors took a chest X-ray as a safeguard against pneumonia, which instead revealed a tumor on his left lung. Follow up CAT scans and PET scans revealed that Larry had developed two tumors – one in his left lung and a second in an adjacent lymph node. A surgical biopsy confirmed that both tumors were cancerous. Two weeks later, a brain scan revealed that the cancer had metastasized to his brain. Soon after, Larry was diagnosed with stage 4 adenocarcinoma. Larry began chemotherapy immediately. His chemo infusions occurred on Tuesdays, three weeks apart. His energy level was good on the days following his infusions until late Friday but by Saturday he was exhausted and it was nearly impossible to lift his head off of the pillow on the weeke Continue reading >>
The Deliberate Lies They Tell About Diabetes
By some estimates, diabetes cases have increased more than 700 percent in the last 50 years. One in four Americans now have either diabetes or pre-diabetes (impaired fasting glucose) Type 2 diabetes is completely preventable and virtually 100 percent reversible, simply by implementing simple, inexpensive lifestyle changes, one of the most important of which is eliminating sugar (especially fructose) and grains from your diet Diabetes is NOT a disease of blood sugar, but rather a disorder of insulin and leptin signaling. Elevated insulin levels are not only symptoms of diabetes, but also heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, stroke, high blood pressure, cancer, and obesity Diabetes drugs are not the answer – most type 2 diabetes medications either raise insulin or lower blood sugar (failing to address the root cause) and many can cause serious side effects Sun exposure shows promise in treating and preventing diabetes, with studies revealing a significant link between high vitamin D levels and a lowered risk of developing type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic syndrome By Dr. Mercola There is a staggering amount of misinformation on diabetes, a growing epidemic that afflicts more than 29 million people in the United States today. The sad truth is this: it could be your very OWN physician perpetuating this misinformation Most diabetics find themselves in a black hole of helplessness, clueless about how to reverse their condition. The bigger concern is that more than half of those with type 2 diabetes are NOT even aware they have diabetes — and 90 percent of those who have a condition known as prediabetes aren’t aware of their circumstances, either. Diabetes: Symptoms of an Epidemic The latest diabetes statistics1 echo an increase in diabetes ca Continue reading >>
Type 2 Diabetes Reversed With Weight Loss: Super Low-calorie Diet May Cure The Disease
Update | Hundreds of people went on an extreme diet with the hopes of curing their Type 2 diabetes. For some of them, it worked. A study published in The Lancet on Tuesday chronicles a remarkable change in the health of its participants. One of the findings—that a calorie-restricted diet leads to weight loss—is hardly groundbreaking. But the effect that losing weight had on diabetes was dramatic. For nearly half of the people on the diet (86 percent of the 36 people lost more than 30 pounds), their diabetes appeared to be gone a year later. The technical term the authors used was “remission.” That term indicates that the levels of red blood cells connected to sugar molecules had fallen below a certain limit even without medication. That limit, often used as a shorthand to diagnose diabetes, is known as HbA1c. It's an indicator of average long-term blood sugar levels and may also be related to the risk of developing complications from diabetes. "'Cure' implies absolute and lasting absence of disease—such as curing tuberculosis. Remission recognises that the person is still susceptible to diabetes and emphasises that continued attention to weight control is vital," said Dr. Roy Taylor, a researcher at Newcastle University and one of the authors of the paper. If the people in this study regain the weight, "then it is certain that the diabetes will come back." Dr. Sona Shah, an endocrinologist at NYU Langone Health, said that doctors knew that if a person lost between 5 to 10 percent of their weight, it could help improve their HbA1c levels. “I’ve seen that many times in many of my patients.” “It gives more evidence and credibility to what we’ve been doing,” she said. "If we can get them controlled by lifestyle alone, I think that’s a huge goal for m Continue reading >>
Diabetic Neuropathy: Preventing And Reversing The Damage
Imagine living with the haunting possibility that one day, you may lose all feeling in your feet and that this lost sensation could ultimately lead to ulceration, infection, and even amputation of your unsalvageable limbs. This grim but very real condition is called diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN), and according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease 60-70 percent of diabetics suffer some kind of nerve damage. That means as the number of type 2 diabetics continues to spiral out of control, we are facing a growing population suffering from pedal disasters like these. What’s tragic is that with all we now know about diabetes, many of these conditions are preventable and largely reversible when they do occur. To help you prevent DPN or reverse the damage if you are already suffering, in today’s blog I will review some of the issues that lead to the onset of the condition and outline some simple dietary measures and supplements you can take to properly support your feet and reverse the damage. Sadly, these conditions typically begin with one major medical assumption: Diabetes can be controlled by medicine alone. Controlling Diabetes with Medication: Can it Be Done? In my opinion, one of the biggest misconceptions in modern medicine is the assumption that diabetes can be controlled by medication alone. The truth is that it simply can’t be. Somehow our culture has developed this fantasy that people can eat anything they want, do no exercise, and any health complications will be resolved with a few pills or injections. Nothing could be further from the truth. On the surface it may appear that diabetes can be successfully treated with pharmaceuticals. Fasting blood sugar and hemoglobin A1C levels both seem to improve. And while these a Continue reading >>
Weight Loss Really Can Reverse Diabetes, New Study Finds
TIME Health For more, visit TIME Health. Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition that affects 422 million people worldwide. For decades, doctors have treated it with medications designed to keep blood sugar levels down. But in a paper published in the Lancet, researchers in the UK describe a landmark study in which people with diabetes went into remission—just by losing weight. Nearly half of people in the study who were given a six-month diet plan and lost an average of 30 pounds went into remission and no longer had diabetes. None took any medications during that time to control their disease and relied on weight loss alone. TIME Health Newsletter Get the latest health and science news, plus: burning questions and expert tips. View Sample Sign Up Now Type 2 diabetes is caused by the body’s in ability to break down sugars from the diet. Normally, cells in the pancreas work to release insulin, a hormone that can process sugar and either send it to cells that need it for energy or store it as fat for future energy needs. Cells in the liver are responsible for clearing insulin from the circulation. But excess fat in the pancreas and liver can start to shut down these insulin-producing cells, leading to spikes in blood sugar levels. Diabetes medications can bring sugar levels down but do not address the compromised insulin machinery. In the study, Dr. Roy Taylor, professor of medicine and metabolism at Newcastle University, and his colleagues randomly assigned nearly 300 people to either a weight management program or their usual treatments, including diabetes medications. All of the people had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in the six years preceding the study. The people assigned to the diet group stopped any diabetes drugs they were taking on the same day they b Continue reading >>
Reversing Type 2 Diabetes
Tweet Reversing diabetes is a term that usually refers to a significant long-term improvement in insulin sensitivity in people with type 2 diabetes. People with type 2 diabetes that are able to get their HbA1c below 42 mmol/mol (6%) without taking diabetes medication are said to have reversed or resolved their diabetes. This also known as putting diabetes into remission. Loss of body weight can be particularly beneficial in helping to reverse the progression of diabetes. With time and dedication, type 2 diabetes can be reversed and the results can be very rewarding, with less tiredness and better all-round health. If you think you need to come off your diabetes medication, ensure you speak to your healthcare team before doing so. Understanding how diabetes progresses The most common cause of type 2 diabetes is obesity-related, which generally follows a vicious cycle pattern: Diet high in calories -particularly if high in refined carbohydrates. Insulin levels in the bloodstream rise to cope with the high- and quick-acting carb intake. Weight is gained around the belly (central or truncal obesity). Consistently high insulin levels lead to the body’s cells becoming resistant to insulin and commonly lead to weight gain. High insulin levels also increase weight gain. Insulin resistance leads to an increase in blood sugar levels, particularly after meals. The pancreas produces more insulin to cope with rising blood sugar levels. High sugar levels lead to feelings of lethargy and high insulin levels lead to increased hunger. Hunger often leads to overeating and lethargy, with less physical activity being taken. Overeating, less activity and high insulin levels all lead to further weight gain and more insulin resistance. Consistently high demand on the pancreas to produce ext Continue reading >>
Can Type 2 Diabetes Be Reversed?
Whether type 2 diabetes is reversible or not has been one of the most debated and discussed questions. In this article, we shall discuss this topic while analyzing the possibilities of such a reversal and also determining the success stories of people who in fact, have achieved this challenging task. So, come and join in for the article “Can Type 2 Diabetes Be Reversed?” Is Type 2 Diabetes Reversible? Is Type 2 Diabetes Reversible? Well, when you talk about reversing type 2 diabetes, you necessarily mean that you are improving the sensitivity of the body towards the hormone insulin in the long term. In the field of medical study, it is said that if you have been successful in bringing your HbA1c levels below 42 mmol/mol and you have done it without taking any medicines or drugs, you have reversed or remitted your type 2 diabetes. Most of the people believe that following an adequate diet, exercising regularly, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle can help reverse the condition. However, you should not forget that type 2 diabetes is something which is affected by the environment and genetical factors to a great extent. As a result, you need to remember that in spite of taking various measures to reverse type 2, not everyone is successful in achieving the same. As per a few reputed organizations like the American Diabetes Association, the disease is like a “life sentence” and you cannot put an end to the same. However, there are others who believe that the condition is reversible. Possible Effective Ways to Reverse Diabetes Although it is not an easy task to reverse type 2 diabetes, many studies show that you can reduce the intensity of the disease, and in a few cases, you can even reverse it. You will have to do the following if you want to reverse type 2 diabetes Continue reading >>
This New Diet Has Been Proven To Reverse Type 2 Diabetes In Just 12 Weeks
Millions of Brits who suffer from type 2 diabetes have been offered "real hope" after a new diet was proven to reverse the disease in just 12 weeks. The diet works by actively reducing the build-up of fat in the pancreas, which can prevent the organ from producing sufficient levels of insulin. Unlike existing plans, which limit calorific intake and impose radical exercise, the Back to Basics Diet is designed with “everyday life in mind”. This minimises the risk of failure, and of lapses and binge eating – common drawbacks of most extreme, low-calorie diets. The diet draws on seven years of research and on the latest scientific and medical studies, and inspired by the way that humans are biologically “designed to eat”. Read more: Obesity can shorten life even AFTER weight loss, research suggests Processed foods are replaced with the nutritious food that sustained mankind over millennia before the introduction of widespread agriculture. It has been shown to reverse the symptoms of type 2 diabetes in as little as three months when coupled with moderate levels of exercise. Around 3.9 million Brits suffer from type 2 diabetes. There is no known ‘cure’ but research has shown that the condition can be reversed – potentially for life – by maintaining a low-calorie diet This conserves the long-term health of the pancreas and ensures that it produces enough insulin to regulate blood sugar levels. Eddy Marshall, director of BBC’s Holby City and Channel 4’s Hollyoaks, was one of the first diabetics to trial the diet. He was officially removed from the NHS' Diabetic Register after medics warned that he would be “diabetic for the rest of his life”. The Back to Basics Diet, which hits the shelves this week in paperback, was created by author David Hack. Speak Continue reading >>
Study Reveals How A Very Low Calorie Diet Can Reverse Type 2 Diabetes
In a new study, a Yale-led research team uncovers how a very low calorie diet can rapidly reverse type 2 diabetes in animal models. If confirmed in people, the insight provides potential new drug targets for treating this common chronic disease, said the researchers. The study is published in Cell Metabolism. One in three Americans will develop type 2 diabetes by 2050, according to recent projections by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Reports indicate that the disease goes into remission in many patients who undergo bariatric weight-loss surgery, which significantly restricts caloric intake prior to clinically significant weight loss. The Yale-led team’s study focused on understanding the mechanisms by which caloric restriction rapidly reverses type 2 diabetes. The research team investigated the effects of a very low calorie diet (VLCD), consisting of one-quarter the normal intake, on a rodent model of type 2 diabetes. Using a novel stable (naturally occurring) isotope approach, which they developed, the researchers tracked and calculated a number of metabolic processes that contribute to the increased glucose production by the liver. The method, known as PINTA, allowed the investigators to perform a comprehensive set of analyses of key metabolic fluxes within the liver that might contribute to insulin resistance and increased rates of glucose production by the liver — two key processes that cause increased blood-sugar concentrations in diabetes. Using this approach the researchers pinpointed three major mechanisms responsible for the VLCD’s dramatic effect of rapidly lowering blood glucose concentrations in the diabetic animals. In the liver, the VLCD lowers glucose production by: 1) decreasing the conversion of lactate and amino acids into glucose Continue reading >>
How To Reverse Diabetes Naturally
According to the 2017 National Diabetes Statistics Report, over 30 million people living in the United States have diabetes. That’s almost 10 percent of the U.S. population. And diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, causing, at least in part, over 250,000 deaths in 2015. That’s why it’s so important to take steps to reverse diabetes and the diabetes epidemic in America. Type 2 diabetes is a dangerous disease that can lead to many other health conditions when it’s not managed properly, including kidney disease, blindness, leg and food amputations, nerve damage, and even death. (1) Type 2 diabetes is a completely preventable and reversible condition, and with diet and lifestyle changes, you can greatly reduce your chances of getting the disease or reverse the condition if you’ve already been diagnosed. If you are one of the millions of Americans struggling with diabetes symptoms, begin the steps to reverse diabetes naturally today. With my diabetic diet plan, suggested supplements and increased physical activity, you can quickly regain your health and reverse diabetes the natural way. The Diabetes Epidemic Diabetes has grown to “epidemic” proportions, and the latest statistics revealed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state that 30.3 million Americans have diabetes, including the 7.2 million people who weren’t even aware of it. Diabetes is affecting people of all ages, including 132,000 children and adolescents younger than 18 years old. (2) The prevalence of prediabetes is also on the rise, as it’s estimated that almost 34 million U.S. adults were prediabetic in 2015. People with prediabetes have blood glucose levels that are above normal but below the defined threshold of diabetes. Without proper int Continue reading >>
Study Shows Ketogenic Diet May Reverse Type 2 Diabetes
If you’ve ever read about health on the internet, you’ve probably seen stories and ads claiming to reverse diabetes. Maybe you saw the article about juicing bitter gourds, or the one that suggests boiling cinnamon powder in water. And isn’t there one out there that suggests rubbing your pancreas with aloe vera twice a day? Maybe you’ve tried one of the above, but hopefully every time you’ve seen the words reverse diabetes, you quickly closed your browser’s tab. However, while there is definitely no way to reverse type 1 diabetes yet, a new study suggests type 2 diabetes really can be reversed (but not by pancreatic massage). Recently, a trial conducted by Stephen Phinney and Jeff Volek, of The Art and Science of Low Carb, showed the positive effects of a low-carbohydrate diet. Phinney and Volek have been low-carb advocates for some time, and you can see their other research here. This particular trial provides evidence that a low-carb diet can improve blood sugar levels and facilitate weight loss in adults with type 2 diabetes. In almost 60% of participants, medication was decreased or stopped altogether. The study, conducted in Indiana in partnership with Indiana University Health, and published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research publications, looked at 262 people with type 2 diabetes who were also overweight. Each participant restricted their carbohydrate intake to 30 grams or less per day, and they increased fat and protein intake. This practice induces what is known as “nutritional ketosis” and is considered a ketogenic diet, forcing the body to burn fat for energy rather than carbohydrates. According to Diabetes.co.uk, “Previous studies have shown that such ketogenic diets can improve insulin sensitivity and bring many other benefits. How Continue reading >>
Study Shows How A Low Calorie Diet Can Reverse Type 2 Diabetes
New research reveals the mechanisms through which low calorie diets can reverse type 2 diabetes in animals, and if those effects can be transferred over to people, we could have a host of new drug options for treating the chronic condition. Links between type 2 diabetes and diet have been well established – it is triggered when the body can no longer manage its blood glucose levels – but this latest study adds to growing evidence that the condition could be reversed in some cases. The team of researchers gave a very low calorie diet (VLCD) to rats with type 2 diabetes and found the animals' blood glucose levels rapidly lowered. What's more, they were able to reveal extra details about why exactly it was happening. "Using this approach to comprehensively interrogate liver carbohydrate and fat metabolism, we showed that it is a combination of three mechanisms that is responsible for the rapid reversal of hyperglycemia following a very low calorie diet," says one of the researchers, Gerald I. Shulman from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in Maryland. The three liver mechanisms affected by the diet were the conversion of lactate and amino acids into glucose, the conversion of liver glycogen into glucose, and a decrease in fat content, which then improves the liver's response to insulin. That response is important: it's when the body can't produce enough insulin, or becomes resistant to it, that blood sugars build up and type 2 diabetes occurs. In other words, the research shows how three causes of high glucose levels are targeted by a VLCD – and results were noticeable in just three days. The rodents' body weight was not affected throughout the study. Before we declare type 2 diabetes cured though, we need to find out whether this would work in humans too, and the Continue reading >>
Reversing Diabetes Is Possible
Bethesda, Maryland (CNN) -- When Jonathan Legg of Bethesda, Maryland, got a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes at 39, he was shocked. "I had always been pretty active," said Legg. "But it was a big wake-up call, that what I was doing and my current weight were not OK." That was two years ago. Since that time, the Morgan Stanley executive decided to make some changes and reverse his diabetes. Although his doctor recommended he go on medication to control his illness, Legg took a different approach. Instead of meds, he began to exercise every day and changed his diet, cutting out alcohol, fatty foods and watching his carbs. Do you have diabetes? How well are you managing it? "I wanted to be able to know the changes I was making were making a difference, and it wasn't the drug," said Legg. According to new statistics just out from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 25.8 million people, or 8.3% of the U.S. population, are affected by either type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Most, like Legg, have type 2 diabetes, which in many people develops later in life. Caused primarily by genetic makeup, a sedentary lifestyle and poor eating habits, type 2 diabetes can be reversed in some cases. By making changes to their lives such as adding exercise and improving their diets, many type 2 diabetics can drop their glucose or sugar numbers back to the normal range, reversing their condition. "We have seen numerous people reverse their condition," says Dr. Michelle Magee, director of the MedStar Diabetes Institute in Washington. "But it takes a real dedication for the rest of their lives," she notes. So why do exercise and diet help reverse diabetes? To answer that question, we first need to know why people get diabetes in the first place. Diabetes is caused when there is too much glucose Continue reading >>
Type 2 Diabetes Can Be Reversed
A new vocabulary for type 2 diabetes care To many in the public and the medical communities, the concept of reversing the progression of type 2 diabetes is new. Type 2 diabetes has long been considered a chronic disease with an inevitable progression toward worsening health, including heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, hearing and vision loss, nerve damage, and even foot or leg amputation. Words like “cure” and “remission” and “reversal” have not been a part of the diabetes vocabulary. Instead, the paradigm has been “diabetes management” where the typical approach is to combine blood-glucose lowering medications with lifestyle changes to keep blood glucose under reasonable control, and in doing so, slowing diabetes progression and reducing the likelihood and severity of life-altering complications. So let’s look at the concept of reversing type 2 diabetes and its many differences from the traditional approach of managing it. A disease of carbohydrate intolerance To understand what it means to reverse diabetes, it’s helpful to start with where blood sugar comes from, how our bodies manage blood sugar levels under healthy conditions, and how that management is disrupted in type 2 diabetes. Carbohydrates are found in large amounts in starchy and sweet foods, including bread, cereal, pasta, rice, potatoes, fruit, fruit juices, cookies, cake, desserts, and sugary drinks, and they are what cause blood sugar to rise. This is true even in people without type 2 diabetes. Our bodies need to keep blood glucose narrowly controlled – not too high and not too low. Either extreme can be harmful, so we produce and release the hormone insulin, which signals cells to absorb glucose and take it out of circulation. After a carbohydrate-rich meal, a healthy pancrea Continue reading >>
