- Healthy eating plan is ‘most effective’ way of tackling obesity-linked Type 2 disorder
- It could spell the end of long-term medication for sufferers
By
Kerry Mcqueeney
Last updated at 12:07 PM on 29th November 2011
Type 2 diabetes could be reversed in just four months by simply following a low-calorie diet, a study has revealed.
According to the research, people who
reduced their calorific intake in their daily diet experienced a far
greater improvement in the condition – and their health in general –
than any medication offered.
This means 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.
Good, old fashioned healthy eating: As obesity levels soar, so too has the rate of Type 2 diabetes – but a cure could be as simple as a low-calorie diet
As obesity levels soar, type 2 diabetes is fast emerging as one of the biggest priorities for the health profession.
The disorder has seen a worrying rise in the UK, 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.
Eradication? The development could spell the end of insulin and other medication
‘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 revolutionise the treatment of what was thought to be an incurable lifelong condition.
Dr Hammer, from the Department of
Radiology at Leiden University Medical Centre in the Netherlands, added
that the results showed significant improvements in patients after just
16 weeks of following a low-calorie diet.
Just last month it was revealed how the number of diabetes sufferers in Britain has risen by 50 per cent in only five years.
Campaigners warned that the increase is being fuelled by the soaring levels of obesity, with some 3million adults and children now living with the condition.
And in the past 12 months alone, there has been an increase of more than 117,000 new cases.
The Diabetes UK charity warned that the NHS is now spending almost a a tenth of its budget – £9billion – every year treating patients.
Some 90 per cent of sufferers have type 2 diabetes, the form which can be caused by being overweight or obese.
The remainder 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.
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Has anybody studied the statistics between poverty and diabetes? There has to be a higher proportion of poorer people who develop diabetes than the wealthier classes. I think that the Govt may be unwittingly forcing the poorer families to buy junk food to “keep the wolf from the door” as they say. – Nigel, MERTHYR TYDFIL, 29/11/2011 12:31Type 2 is also hereditary. If there is a family history you have a higher risk of developing it. If you know this, you can take steps like a healthier diet to lower the risk or delay the onset but an article only the other day cited the case of a 30 yr old with no family history who led an exemplary life style with plenty of exercise etc BUT she became ill and was diagnosed with Type 2. Admittedly possibly a rarer occurence but you don’t necessarily have to be fat and forty to get it!
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my daughter’s former boyfriend suffered as a teenager as a diabetic and after endless years on insulin and some near death experiences he researched the problem and cut out all carbohydrates and now years later he is almost cured.
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Wow folks you’ve cracked it!! Just as I have been posting fr weeks!The Drug companies do not want you to KNOW this stuff. Most of their Poisons turn your body acidic which causes most illnesses! along with bad diets!!
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Please please please change the headline – there is no cure for diabetes (not even type 2), while this may reverse blood levels to normal temporarily, over time these will creep back up as it is a progressive disease. Diabetes can be controlled, but not cured, this is very misleading and disrespectful to diabetics.
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No matter what illness you have, always research what the correct foods can do for you, instead of just accepting the drugs that your doctor will happily dish out to you. Doctors have very limited knowledge of nutrition and health, ironically. Western doctors are mainly sales reps for drug companies, to the detriment of your health. Doctors and some drugs do have their place but on the whole there are better alternatives out there. Question things and do your own research people!!!
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I have suffered from type 2 diabetes for 10 years and about 3 months ago I came across this diet information, 600 calories a day so I tried it after talking to my GP, I have now lost 2 stone and sugar levels are getting back to normal, so folks it works and I dont even feel very hungry, my advice is if you have type 2 then talk to your GP and try it IT WORKS
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Last year I had a medical check up after experiencing several illnesses. My blood pressure was sky high, I weighed over 14 stone (and I’m 5’9) and I was diagnosed as borderline Type 2 diabetic. Since then I have opted a wholefood (nothing processed) vegan diet although I eat fish once a week. The results have been startling. I’ve lost three stone, my blood pressure and sugars are normal, my cholesterol has dropped from 6.7 to 4.1 and I am very energetic all day long. In addition to this, I eat as much as I want and I still stay eleven stone! A healthy lifestyle is by far the best option in tackling Type 2 diabetes. Not only can the disease be reveresed but a whole host of other positive side effects occur when living a wholefood, low fat, mostly vegan diet. These include improved libido, confidence, self esteem; a better looking body, clearer skin as well as less fatigue. If I could do it then anyone can.
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Of course diet has a huge impact on how you keep healthy. and even how you can reverse disease. I had kidney disease when I was in my 20 s and was due to go into Hospital to be operated on. But decided on an alternative route( which was a pretty scary decision at the time) For almost a year I had do without lots of food I loved (hard on kidneys to process certain foods while kidney is “sick” ) Mostly fruit and veg. I was under the supervision of a specialist during this time. I have never since looked back. I must say I had rude, good health at the end of that year , the likes of which I d never before experienced. And whenever , I have felt poorly since I simply revert to my “diet”.
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“Dr Sebastiaan Hammer, the study’s lead author, told The Express ….”
You’re citing the Daily Express as an authoritative source of medical information!!!
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For goodness sake this is common sense. Hippocrates said: “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food” over 2 thousand years ago. Why is this so hard to grasp now in our supposed enlightened times? Every other creature on the face of this planet, except humans, does just fine following natures laws. Us humans are the only ones that choose not to follow natures laws and look at the state of things. Can we really call ourselves an intelligent species?
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