Remission of Type 2 Diabetes Using Intermittent Fasting

A study discovered that persons with diabetes who fast intermittently may no longer require medication.

Highlights:

Individuals who followed an intermittent fasting diet obtained complete diabetic remission
Various case studies and randomized trials indicate that therapeutic fasting has been linked to alleviating insulin resistance //
Several case studies have found a reduction in elevated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels in patients after fasting, which some ascribe to sirtuin-6 (SIRT6) proteins

After an intermittent fasting diet intervention, patients achieved complete diabetes remission, defined as an HbA1c (average blood sugar) level of less than 6.5% at least one year after stopping diabetes medication, according to a new study published in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism ().

The Link Between Intermittent Fasting and Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetes mellitus type 2 (T2DM) is a rapidly increasing condition defined mostly by insulin resistance and hyperglycemia. Most patients have high serum glucose levels due to impaired glucose homeostasis, which can lead to a variety of consequences, including hospitalizations and even death. Diet quality and quantity are at the heart of its pathophysiology; thus, for the management of this disorder, researchers have been interested in a strategy known as intermittent fasting (IF). Due to their physiologic consequences, many fasting regimes, such as alternate-day fasting, religious fasting, and time-restricted fasting, have proven to be beneficial for glycemic management.

Intermittent fasting diets have become popular in recent years as an effective weight loss method. With intermittent fasting, you only eat during a specific window of time. Fasting for a certain number of hours each day or eating just one meal a couple of days a week can help your body burn fat. Research shows intermittent fasting can lower your risk of diabetes and heart disease.

Intermittent Fasting can Help Manage Diabetes, Heart Disease
Eating your daily calories within a consistent window of 8-10 hours is a powerful strategy to prevent and manage chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.

‘Intermittent fasting is known for weight loss, but now, as per studies, it may put patients into remission for type 2 diabetes.’

“Type 2 diabetes is not necessarily a permanent, lifelong disease. Diabetes remission is possible if patients lose weight by changing their diet and exercise habits,” said Dongbo Liu, Ph.D., of Hunan Agricultural University in Changsha, China. “Our research shows an intermittent fast, Chinese Medical Nutrition Therapy (CMNT), can lead to diabetes remission in people with type 2 diabetes, and these findings could have a major impact on the over 537 million adults worldwide who suffer from the disease.”

The researchers conducted a 3-month intermittent fasting diet intervention among 36 people with diabetes and found almost 90% of participants, including those who took blood sugar-lowering agents and insulin, reduced their diabetes medication intake after intermittent fasting. Fifty-five percent of these people experienced diabetes remission, discontinued their diabetes medication, and maintained it for at least one year.

The study calls into question the widely held belief that diabetes remission can only be achieved in people who have had the disease for a short period (0-6 years). Sixty-five percent of the study participants who achieved diabetes remission had a diabetes duration of more than 6 years (6–11 years).

Diet and Weight Loss to Achieve Type 2 Diabetes Remission: Study
Choosing a diet that suits you the most is extremely important, as you are likely to stick to that particular diet for a long term. Low-carbohydrate diet means less blood sugar appears in the bloodstream, leading to improved blood sugar control.

“Diabetes medications are costly and a barrier for many patients who are trying to effectively manage their diabetes. Our study saw medication costs decrease by 77% in people with diabetes after intermittent fasting,” Liu said.

Therapeutic fasting has been shown in case studies and randomized trials to overcome insulin resistance, resulting in the discontinuation of insulin medication while maintaining blood sugar levels. IF is effective in glycemic control and other metabolic parameters, such as reducing visceral fat and controlling inflammatory mediators and markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), but control of obesity is its most significant effect because it is a risk factor for T2DM. Several case studies have revealed a decrease in increased hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels in people following fasting, which some attribute to sirtuin-6 (SIRT6) proteins. SIRT6 proteins are thought to be responsible for blood glucose homeostasis and the reversal of insulin resistance by boosting its sensitivity ().

Intermittent Fasting: A Key To Good Health
Intermittent fasting is a complete or partial abstinence from food and caloric drinks for a particular period. It reduces the caloric intake of the person.

Because this protein family is enhanced after fasting, researchers will be able to better understand its mechanism of action and potential therapeutic implications on T2DM. With an alarming rise in the global incidence of T2DM, a cost-effective method to treat the disease with easy patient compliance is necessary, and intermittent fasting may be the solution.

References:

Time-restricted Eating for the Prevention and Management of Metabolic Diseases - (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34550357/)
Intermittent Fasting: A User-Friendly Method for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus - (https://www.cureus.com/articles/68373-intermittent-fasting-a-user-friendly-method-for-type-2-diabetes-mellitus)

Belly Fat Could Be Resistant to Intermittent Fasting
Research shows that belly fat could be resistant to every other day fasting.

Source-Medindia