A study of Leiden University Medical Centre in the Netherlands shows that type 2 diabetes could be reversed in just 4 months by simply following a low-calorie diet.
The new research results show that people who reduced their calorific intake in their daily diet experienced a far greater improvement of type 2 diabetes condition – and their health in general – than any medication offered.
The study conclusion says that life-saving insulin would no longer be needed to combat the disorder, cardiac function would improve and dangerous fats building up around patients’ hearts would be significantly reduced.
As obesity levels soar, type 2 diabetes is fast emerging as one of the biggest priorities for the health profession.
The disorder is thought to be driven by junk food diets and a lack of exercise.
Dr. Sebastiaan Hammer, the study’s lead author, told The Express: “It is striking to see how a relatively simple intervention of a very low-calorie diet effectively cures Type 2 diabetes.
“Moreover, these effects are long term, illustrating the potential of this method.
“Lifestyle interventions may have more powerful beneficial cardiac effects than medication in these patients.”
The research has been hailed as a breakthrough which could revolutionize the treatment of what was thought to be an incurable lifelong condition.
Dr. Sebastiaan Hammer added that the results showed significant improvements in patients after just 16 weeks of following a low-calorie diet.
Some 90% of diabetic patients have type 2 diabetes, the form which can be caused by being overweight or obese.
The remainder 10% patients have type 1, which is believed to be genetic.
Scientists believe excess fat upsets the working of insulin – a key hormone which delivers sugar to cells – and this can lead to type 2 diabetes.
Those with the condition are five times more at risk of heart attacks and strokes and can also suffer damage to nerve endings in feet, cells in the eye’s retina and kidney disease.
