In the UK approximately 3.5 million people suffer from type 2 diabetes at a cost of approximately £9bn annually to the NHS. Type 2 diabetes is the result of high levels of glucose in the blood, caused by obesity and overeating.
In a recent study led by Professor Roy Taylor of Newcastle University, it was discovered that an easy eight week diet plan could eliminate the requirement for years of expensive medication.
The study is in its early stages, but this discovery is a very promising one. During the study, 11 type 2 diabetes sufferers were selected. Researchers used a scanner to monitor fat in the patient’s pancreas.
These patients were put on a strict 600 calorie a day diet which consisted of tea, zero-calorie drinks, non-starchy vegetables and slimming shakes. After only 7 days, the patients’ early morning blood sugar levels had returned to normal. After only two months, the pancreas was producing insulin normally and the fat in the pancreas had returned to normal levels.
Professor Taylor stated that too much fat in the pancreas prevents effective secretion of insulin, which is required to regulate blood sugar. Once this fat is removed, the pancreas can resume its normal function.
One of the patients who took part in the research had been a diabetic for six years. At the end of the trial, he no longer needed to take medication, and today, after 18 months, still does not need medication.
This study was undertaken after observations had been made that after gastric bypass surgery patients often stopped being type 2 diabetics. Bariatric surgery patients tend to remain diabetes free even if they had been long term sufferers. The director of research at Diabetes UK supported the study and stated that it revealed that type 2 diabetes is reversible without the side effects of surgery, but that the diet is not an easy fix. At this point it is not known whether the reversal will remain in the long term. The diet is quite strict and many patients may have difficulty sticking to it.
