Can You Reverse Diabetes?

Can You Reverse A Type-2 Diabetes Diagnosis? Isn't It Controversial?

Reversing diabetes may not be entirely up to you, but actually doing it is entirely up to you (with support). Our first post about the possibility of reversing diagnosis of type-2 diabetes generated some of the skepticism—in some cases blowback—we thought it might. Discussion is good. We were careful in our word choice backing up our principal assertion, namely, that “There is hard evidence that type-2 diabetes does not have to be seen as an irreversible, necessarily progressive condition in everyone diagnosed with it.” We remain clear in our provisos: It’s probably not possible for all people who have been correctly diagnosed with type-2 diabetes. Nothing is that simple. The pancreases of people who have lived with type-2 diabetes for years, and who have treated it only with medication, are unlikely to get back to normal functioning. Obesity, “tummy fat” in particular, poses a high risk for progression to type-2 diabetes. As everyone who has fought the fat knows, it’s one thing to get it off and another thing altogether to keep it off. Physical inactivity aggravated by obesity heightens the problem. A serious attempt to reverse type-2 diabetes entails working out a precise eating plan, in consultation with your doctor and, ideally, a professional dietician—and sticking to it. It also entails, for all of those for whom this is in any way possible, a regimen of physical exercise, usually of an aerobic variety, amounting to a total of 150 to 175 minutes of exercise a week, with a maximum of two “days off.” Perhaps most important, it is not, literally, a do-or-die situation (or a moral one). A host of reasons, particularly including your choice, to rely on medical treatment to treat your diabetes is treatment of your type-2 diabetes, if not necessaril 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 >>

Is This The Formula For Reversing Type 2 Diabetes?

The first-year results of a clinical trial have shown that almost half of people partaking in an intensive weight management program delivered through primary care achieved remission of their type 2 diabetes without medication. The trial, which is called the Diabetes Remission Clinical Trial (DiRECT), builds on earlier work by co-lead investigator Prof. Roy Taylor, director of the Magnetic Resonance Centre at Newcastle University in the United Kingdom. The earlier work showed that a radical change in diet can reverse type 2 diabetes. The results of the trial, recently reported in The Lancet, suggest that remission of type 2 diabetes may be achievable through intensive weight management programs supported by routine primary care. The team's findings revealed that after 12 months of radical weight management, participants lost an average of 10 kilograms (22 pounds), and that 45.6 percent of them went back to being non-diabetic without medication. 'Long-term maintenance of weight loss' focus Prof. Taylor says that significant weight loss reduces the amount of fat in the liver and pancreas so that they can start working normally again. "What we're seeing from DiRECT," he remarks, "is that losing weight isn't just linked to better management of type 2 diabetes: significant weight loss could actually result in lasting remission." "Our findings suggest that even if you have had type 2 diabetes for 6 years," adds trial co-leader Prof. Michael Lean, chair of Human Nutrition at the University of Glasgow in the U.K., "putting the disease into remission is feasible." He says that their approach differs from the conventional way of managing type 2 diabetes in that it focuses "on the need for long-term maintenance of weight loss through diet and exercise and encourage[s] flexibility Continue reading >>

Weight Can In Fact Reverse Type 2 Diabetes, Study Shows

Mario Anzuoni—Reuters A new study discovered that weight loss really can cure diabetes. In a paper published in the Lancet, researchers in the United Kingdom discovered that patients with Type 2 diabetes went into remission when they lost weight, Time reports. Half of the patients in the study went on a 6-month diet plan, while the other half did not. Those that dieted and lost an average of 30 pounds saw their diabetes start to disappear. None of the patients took any daibetes medication for the disease during the study and instead focused exclusively on the effects of weight loss on the chronic condition. The diet involved three to five months of a liquid diet averaging no more than 850 calories a day, followed by two to eight weeks of reintroducing food. Patients were also given nutritional education and cognitive behavioral therapy. Researchers hope to point out with the study that diabetes doesn’t have to be a life-long sentence, and instead is something that can be fought with hard work. However, the weight loss treatment is only effective if done during the first few years of the onset of Type 2 diabetes. Patients who have been living with the disease for 10 years or more have also suffered a loss of some cells which make the weight loss method alone ineffective. Continue reading >>

9 Science-backed Strategies To Help Reverse Diabetes

First, start exercising iStock/MilosStankovic "I always tell patients that the most important change they can make is getting more exercise," says Betul Hatipoglu, MD, a Cleveland Clinic endocrinologist. The University of Alabama at Birmingham recruited more than 5,000 overweight adults with type 2 diabetes and assigned them to either an intensive weight-loss program or an education and support intervention. After one year, 11.5 percent of those in the intensive group (who reduced their intake to between 1,200 and 1,800 calories a day and increased activity levels to 175 minutes per week) experienced diabetes remission, compared to just 2 percent in the support and education group. This is the difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes. The American College of Sports Medicine and the American Diabetes Association released a report in a 2010 issue of Diabetes Care that analyzed multiple studies on the effect of exercise on type 2 diabetes management and concluded that regular exercise helps control insulin resistance and blood glucose levels. Follow this step-by-step plan to reverse diabetes. Make friends with cinnamon iStock/Magone Can a teaspoon of cinnamon really make your blood sugar go down? A study in the journal Nutrition Research found that patients with type 2 diabetes who took a higher dose of cinnamon lowered their blood glucose levels more than those who consumed less of the spice. Other studies from Pakistan and Germany found that larger doses of cinnamon lowered fasting blood sugar more than smaller doses or a placebo. More, larger studies need to be done, but researchers believe the high antioxidant content of cinnamon might make the spice a useful tool in managing diabetes. Sprinkle some cinnamon into your oatmeal or yogurt, make baked apples and cinna Continue reading >>

Can You Reverse Diabetic Kidney Disease With Food?

Kidney failure, a result of kidney disease, afflicts 30 percent of people with type 1 diabetes and 10 to 40 percent of people with type 2 diabetes, according to the National Kidney Foundation. It is important to talk with your doctor about your risks of kidney disease and what you can do to prevent it. If you develop kidney disease, there are changes you can make to your diet to help reverse or slow the disease, but it is necessary to discuss dietary changes with your doctor before beginning them. Keep in mind that not all kidney disease is reversible. Video of the Day Remove high protein animal meats from your diet. According to the American Diabetes Association, the intake of protein makes the kidneys have to work harder and often low protein diets are recommended for people experiencing kidney failure. Avoiding the high protein amounts of meats can help decrease the stress on your kidneys. Consume small amounts of plant-based protein to help you get essential amino acids without adding too much protein to your diet. Eat plant-based proteins such as beans, nuts, tofu or peanut butter. Follow your doctor’s specific recommendations on how many grams of protein you should consume daily because it will vary from person to person. Limit your intake of salt to 1,500 mg per day. Consuming too much salt can increase your blood pressure. According to the American Heart Association, your kidney disease can quickly worsen with even slight increases to your blood pressure. Talk to your doctor your specific salt limitations. Add flavor to your foods with salt-free herbs and spices. Read labels to ensure the foods you buy do not contain too much salt. Many frozen foods, prepackaged foods and canned goods contain added salt. MedlinePlus recommends looking for foods that, per servi Continue reading >>

Can You Reverse Or “cure” Type 2 Diabetes?

After receiving a diagnosis of diabetes, most people are left with tons of questions. One of the most common is, Can I reverse diabetes? The key to answering this question begins with understanding type 2 diabetes. What is Type 2 Diabetes? Diabetes is a group of diseases characterized by elevated blood glucose—also called blood sugar, levels due to problems in insulin secretion, insulin action or both. Insulin is the hormone that helps move glucose into your cells to be used as energy. According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA) type 2 diabetes usually begins with insulin resistance. When you have insulin resistance, your body may be making plenty of insulin, but the insulin is unable to do its job properly. As a result, the body needs higher levels of insulin to help glucose enter cells. Overtime, as insulin resistance progresses insulin production gradually decreases, eventually reaching a level of deficiency. Without enough insulin, glucose builds up in the bloodstream, leading to prediabetes and diabetes. Can You Turn Back the Hands of Time? Whether or not you can reverse or cure type 2 diabetes depends on how long you’ve had diabetes, how severe it is and your genetic predisposition. Many experts believe because diabetes is a chronic disease it may be more accurate to use the term remission rather than cure, particularly when considering the cause of type 2 diabetes and the fact that relapse is always possible. In a consensus statement issued by the ADA, remission is defined based on the following: Partial remission: Maintenance of blood glucose below diagnostic levels without diabetes medication for at least one year. Complete remission: Normal blood glucose without diabetes medication for at least one year. Prolonged remission: Complete remission for 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 >>

Can Dramatically Changing Your Diet Reverse Type 2 Diabetes?

ATLANTA - About 30 million American adults have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. And the CDC says about 96 million are "pre-diabetic," meaning their blood sugar levels are too high. For years, experts have assumed that once a person was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, it was a done deal; the only option was to manage the illness. But a couple of small studies show that dramatic dietary changes may help some type 2 diabetics normalize their blood sugar levels. So, Emory internist Dr. Sharon Bergquist believes it's not too late for diabetics and pre-diabetics to change course, by rethinking the way you eat. "Studies show you can reduce average blood sugar, as measured by hemoglobin a1c by over 2 points, and that translates into over 100 blood sugar points," Dr. Bergquist says. "So, diet can be just as effective, and in some cases even more effective, than medication for managing blood sugar." In one British study, a small group of 13 type 2 diabetic volunteers, all overweight, switched to a plant-based diet: eating lots of whole grains, vegetables (especially greens), fruits, and getting most of their fat from nuts and seeds. The volunteers also cut back on animal products, getting just 10 percent of their daily calories from meat and dairy. Bergquist says the most beneficial foods for diabetics fall into two categories. "One is foods that are low in saturated fat," she says. "Because the underlying problem with diabetes is insulin resistance, and saturated fat seems to worsen insulin resistance." And Bergquist encourages her diabetic patients to eat "good" carbs found in whole foods like whole grains, vegetables, and fruit. She recommends steering clear of sugary foods like sodas, snacks and baked goods, and cutting back on refined (or processed) foods like white ric 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 >>

How Weight Loss Can Reverse Type 2 Diabetes

TIME Health For more, visit TIME Health. An analysis published in The BMJ aims to let doctors and the public in on a little-known secret: Type 2 diabetes, in many cases, is curable. People can reverse their diabetes by losing about 33 pounds, say the authors of the new paper, despite popular belief that the diagnosis is always a permanent one. If more people were striving for this goal, and if more doctors were documenting instances of diabetes remission, complication rates and health-care costs could both be reduced dramatically, the authors say. The analysis is based on evidence from recent clinical trials. In one from 2011, people who were recently diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes returned their blood sugar levels to normal when they lost weight on a calorie-restrictive diet. In a 2016 follow-up study, people who had been diabetic for up to 10 years were able to reverse their condition when they lost about 33 pounds. TIME Health Newsletter Get the latest health and science news, plus: burning questions and expert tips. View Sample Sign Up Now Mike Lean, professor of human nutrition at the University of Glasgow in Scotland, is an author of both the new analysis and of those earlier trials. He says a person’s likelihood of remission from diabetes is greatest in the first five years after being diagnosed. Type 2 diabetes, he wrote in an email, is a disease “best avoided by avoiding the weight gain that drives it.” For people who do develop it, he believes that evidence-based weight-loss programs could help them achieve lasting remission. “Not all can do it, but they should all be given the chance with good support,” Lean writes. “Taking tablets or injections for life to reduce blood sugar is a poor second rate treatment.” Current guidelines for the managemen Continue reading >>

How Long Does It Take To Reverse Diabetes?

“And by the third day, I got this burst of energy,” says Mr. Garlin. “I felt as good as I did when I was in high school. And all this without taking any medications… just eating healthy and exercising. That’s all it was!” Not everyone’s blood sugar (glucose) tumbles as quickly as Mr. Garlin’s, but there is plenty of research affirming that a healthy diet like the Pritikin Eating Plan combined with daily exercise can profoundly reduce blood sugar levels in just two to three week’s time. Prevention of Diabetes There is also strong science showing that a healthy lifestyle like Pritikin can prevent pre-diabetes from developing into full-blown diabetes. (Pre-diabetes is defined as having a fasting glucose between 100 and 125. Diabetes is a fasting glucose of 126 or higher.) Foods That Fight Diabetes Pritikin eating means focusing on whole foods that are naturally rich in fiber and naturally low in fats, sugars, and industrial refinement. Pritikin foods are vegetables, whole fruits (not juice), whole grains, legumes such as beans and peas, nonfat dairy foods, and moderate servings of lean meat such as fish, skinless chicken breast, and game meat like bison and venison. How Long Does It Take To Reverse Diabetes? | The Science About 20 years ago, scientists began discovering how quickly diabetes could be reversed. Researchers at UCLA tracked1 men and women with type 2 diabetes who had attended the Pritikin Longevity Center, where they learned and adopted healthy Pritikin food and fitness habits. Three Weeks Among the 652 people studied, 240 were “new diabetics,” that is, they had only recently been diagnosed with the disease; they were not yet taking any medications. Within an average of three weeks at Pritikin, the blood sugar (glucose) levels of these ne Continue reading >>

Can You Really Reverse Diabetes?

Shutterstock Most health care professionals will tell you that Type 2 diabetes is a chronic, progressive and incurable disease (it’s the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S.). But some small recent studies have raised the tantalizing possibility that diabetes could go into remission — at least partially, at least temporarily, at least in a subset of patients. Thanks to the aging of the population and the increasing prevalence of obesity, both of which are risk factors for Type 2 diabetes, the disease has been a growing public health problem in the U.S. From 1980 through 2014, the number of Americans diagnosed with diabetes nearly quadrupled, from 5.5 million to 21.9 million, the vast majority of whom have type 2, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In people with Type 2 diabetes, their bodies don’t use insulin properly, which is called insulin resistance. Early on, the pancreas makes extra insulin to compensate, but over time it can’t produce enough to maintain normal blood sugar levels. Bariatric surgery may help As a review article in the June issue of Current Diabetes Reports notes, however, weight-loss surgery provides a short-term cure for diabetes in more than seven out of 10 cases. “It is extraordinarily effective in treating diabetes,” says Dr. Pankaj Pasricha, director of the Center for Neurogastroenterology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore. “This is before they lose even a pound of weight.” In fact, many patients no longer need insulin by the time they’re discharged from the hospital after undergoing weight-loss surgery. Obesity and Type 2 diabetes are closely linked, although not all people with the disease are obese. A third of U.S. adults are at high risk of developing diabetes. Continue reading >>

How To Reverse A Diabetes Diagnosis By Losing Weight

Here's something shocking to think about: 40 percent of Americans are obese — and that number is the highest it's ever been. And here's another jaw-dropping statistic: 29 million Americans have type 2 diabetes. If you fall into either of these categories, the good news is there are simple steps you can take to make lasting changes. For example, you only need to lose 5 percent of your body weight to seriously start reducing your risk for type 2 diabetes. And you only need to lose 1 gram of fat from your pancreas (where your insulin lives) to reverse the symptoms of diabetes, according to one small study. The connection between a small amount of weight loss with a large health benefit is not new. A 2012 study found reducing body mass index (BMI) by just five units could help reverse diabetes, regardless of your initial BMI. Diabetes can be a confusing topic — here are a few things you should know. There are two very different types of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes involves the absence of insulin, a critical hormone needed to help control blood sugar levels. It has often been referred to as juvenile diabetes or insulin dependent diabetes. Type 1 diabetes represents a very small percentage of total diabetes cases and has nothing to do with being overweight or obese. The other form is called type 2 diabetes (often referred to as adult onset or noninsulin dependent). Type 2 diabetes makes up 95 percent of all diabetes cases and it’s highly correlated to weight. Individuals with type 2 diabetes produce insulin, but the hormone is not sensitive enough to the rise and fall of blood sugar levels. This form of the disease may start as insulin resistance or prediabetes. Both types of diabetes are serious and can lead to several adverse health outcomes, like nerve damage, impaired 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 >>

A cure for diabetes: Crash diet can REVERSE Type 2 in three months... and Isobel and Tony are living ...

Reverse your diabetes: You can stay diabetes-free long-term

You CAN beat diabetes! Strict diet, exercise and drugs helps reverse type 2 diabetes