Mixed
A very low-calorie diet (VLCD) of 624-700 kcal/day for 8 weeks, followed by structured weight maintenance, can induce sustained remission of type 2 diabetes (fasting glucose <7 mmol/L) in approximately 40% of participants, primarily by reducing intrahepatic and intrapancreatic fat and restoring first-phase insulin secretion.
If you have Type 2 Diabetes, significant weight loss through a very low-calorie diet (around 600-700 calories/day for 8 weeks) can potentially put your diabetes into remission, especially if you have had it for a shorter time. This involves stopping diabetes medications under medical supervision, using a structured diet plan, and then maintaining that weight loss. It works by clearing fat from your liver and pancreas, allowing your body to regulate blood sugar normally again.
A robust and sustainable weight loss program achieved continuing remission of diabetes for at least 6 months in the 40% who responded to a VLCD by achieving fasting plasma glucose of <7 mmol/L. T2DM is a potentially reversible condition.
Why this rating
Prospective longitudinal study with rigorous metabolic measurements (clamps, MRI), but small sample size (n=30) and lack of a control group.
Source
Very Low-Calorie Diet and 6 Months of Weight Stability in Type 2 Diabetes: Pathophysiological Changes in Responders and Nonresponders
Sarah Steven et al. · Diabetes Care · 2016
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