Type 2 diabetes is a metabolic disease that develops with age, a sedentary lifestyle, and a high-fat diet. Diabetes is not a death sentence, the disease can be controlled with medication but also with lifestyle changes such as resuming sports or eating a healthier diet. These adjustments also promote weight loss, as obesity is a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes.
Diabetes
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A Chinese study conducted at Changsha University tested the effect of intermittent fasting on type 2 diabetes in 72 adults aged 38 to 72 who had had diabetes for less than ten years. The participants were randomly divided into two groups: one group followed intermittent fasting and the other ate conventionally.
The fasting program consisted of a 5-day fast – during which food consumption was limited to 840 kcal per day – and then conventional eating for 10 days. This cycle was repeated six times for a total of 90 days.
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Of the 36 diabetics who fasted, 17 went into remission, meaning their blood glucose levels stabilized below 6.5% for more than 3 months without the use of medication. Only one person in the second group achieved this goal. A year later, 16 people in the fasting group are still recovering. The follow-up has not gone any further. Diabetics lost an average of 5 kg during the fasting period. In the case of the others, body mass has hardly decreased.
This small randomized study suggests that dietary changes can help diabetics beat their disease. This is a fact that endocrinologists have known for a long time. Because intermittent fasting was accompanied by a calorie deficit, it’s hard to know whether it was the fasting or the calorie restriction that helped patients regulate their diabetes.
Although this was a modest study that in the short term won’t lead to any drastic changes in the way diabetes is being treated, it still sheds light on the benefits of intermittent fasting on the condition. Regardless the beneficial effects of intermittent fasting still need to be confirmed by further studies.
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