Intermittent fasting may bring about lasting diabetes remission
According to a Chinese research published on Wednesday in "The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism," "Effect of calorie-restricted, intermittent diet on type 2 diabetes remission," intermittent fasting may aid diabetics in managing their condition.
In a study done at Changsha University, the researchers examined 72 persons with type 2 diabetes who had the disease for less than 10 years and ranged in age from 38 to 72. Participants were divided into two groups at random; the first consumed normal meals and the second practiced intermittent fasting.
The fasting schedule involved consuming just 840 kcal per day for the first five days of the fast, followed by 10 days of regular eating. In all, this cycle was performed six times for a 90-day period.
Result: After three months, almost 90% of participants with diabetes – including people who were taking hypoglycemic drugs and insulin – reduced their medication use. After one year, almost half of the volunteers (44.4%) also achieved lasting remission from diabetes.
Another benefit is that the jeûne helped diabetics lose weight, on average 5 kg. For the others, the corpuscular mass has hardly changed. The study is still quite small (36 participants), and the long-term effects of young people on diabetes have not been examined. Therefore, more studies must validate these initial findings since hyperglycemia might recur after a number of years.
According to data from the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, there are more than 25,000 diabetic children, more than 2,7 million diabetic adults, 49% of whom are unaware of their condition, and more than 2,2 million pre-diabetics in Morocco. Additionally, 56% of diabetics also suffer from hypertension, which puts them at risk for serious health complications.