Intermittent fasting may aid in weight loss, lowering the risk of diabetes complications. While intermittent fasting can be done safely, people with diabetes may be at risk of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia due to blood sugar fluctuations during and after fasting periods. More research is required to determine the long-term risks and benefits of intermittent fasting for diabetics.
According to a new study, patients who followed an intermittent fasting diet achieved complete diabetes remission, defined as a 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, patients achieved complete diabetes remission after an intermittent fasting diet intervention, defined as a HbA1c (average blood sugar) level of less than 6.5% at least one year after stopping diabetes medication.
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.
Dongbo Liu
Intermittent fasting diets have gained popularity in recent years as an effective method of weight loss. You only eat during a specific time period when you practice intermittent fasting. Fasting for a set number of hours per day or eating only one meal a couple of times per week can help your body burn fat. According to research, intermittent fasting can reduce your risk of diabetes and heart disease.
“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 fasting, 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 with 36 people with diabetes and discovered that nearly 90% of participants, including those taking blood sugar-lowering agents and insulin, reduced their diabetes medication intake after intermittent fasting. Fifty-five percent of these people achieved diabetes remission, stopped taking diabetes medication, and kept it up for at least a 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 shorter period of time (0-6 years). Sixty-five percent of study participants who achieved diabetes remission had had the disease for more than six years (6-11 years).
“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.
Intermittent fasting is a diet that involves restricting your meals to a specific window of time, followed by a fixed period of eating little or nothing. The fasting period can last anywhere from a few hours to several days.
Some research suggests that intermittent fasting may have benefits for people with diabetes, such as weight loss. Significant changes in eating habits, on the other hand, may cause dangerous swings in blood sugar levels.
