
DIABETES DIET: Fast-acting low calorie ‘Super’ diet of soups and shakes help in fight
Breakthrough research found that nutritionally balanced soups and shakes can help people with advanced Type 2 diabetes to lose weight and reduce their dependence on insulin.
Preliminary findings of a randomised controlled UK trial to be published today were described as “exciting”.
Obese patients put on an 800-calorie-per-day liquid diet cut back their insulin dosage more and saw greater reductions in blood sugar and body fat mass levels than a control group on standard NHS care.
It is the first evidence in Britain that diabetes patients can improve by losing weight and lowering insulin use, said the study leader Adrian Brown, a weight management dietitian at Imperial College London.
He added: “Insulin therapy is now commonplace in Type 2 diabetes to help control blood sugar levels.
“But it can be associated with significant weight gain and cause people to eat more through fear of low blood sugars. It can create a Catch 22 situation.
“There is a real need for workable interventions to help them lose weight and cut back on insulin.”
The liquid diet is based on powdered skimmed milk and soya protein flavoured with sweeteners.
Occasional chocolate bars are allowed.
The drinks also contain vitamins and minerals to make up for a lack of fruit and vegetables in the diet.
Study co-author Professor Gary Frost, from Imperial College and the Hammersmith Hospital, London, added: “There is other good work suggesting that 10 to 15 per cent weight loss can reverse early diabetes. But there is no reason why weight loss and metabolic improvement should be restricted to early
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