Type 2 Diabetes Cure Found

[mrjarrell]

Looks like it works with a good number of the people that participated in the trials, too. It requires some will power, tho. You apparently have to go on a severely restricted diet and the effects can be reversed in as little as a week. This lends a good bit of hope to millions of people out there with this disease. And no drugs are required.

Crash course diet reverses Type 2 diabetes in a week - Telegraph

 

[redneckmedic]

WHAT!?! But the commercials for those pills say that DIET AND EXERCISE DON'T WORK!!! I'm so confused, who do I believe the marketing agencies or the Pocket lined MDs doing the studies?

I think I'm going to PM Rambone for advise, I need an unbiased opinion.

 

[christman]

Pretty cool. Will power being the key that I think a lot of them would rather not bother with.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

I'd be interested in learning the long-term outcome of these 11 folks in the study...

As a Type II diabetic myself, it's somewhat relevant to my interests.

But, I've managed to get my A1c levels (long-term average of blood sugar levels) down into the "normal" ranges by dieting, moderate exercise, and losing weight.

And I didn't need an unhealthy 600calorie/day crash diet to do it.

Diabetes is a chronic condition. Once you get it, you've always got it. One can never be fully "cured". A person can, however, control it to the point where meds aren't needed. It's like alcoholism "Once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic...even though you can be sober for 50+ years".

-J-

 

[eldirector]

^^^^ +1

My FIL is a Type II as well. Bad diet got him "into" it (way overweight, and processed sugar to the extreme), and a good diet has gotten him to a managed state. It would take him all of a day to screw it up if he went back to his old habits.

 

[Tester]

Pretty cool. Will power being the key that I think a lot of them would rather not bother with.

There you have it. Will power is very underrated for a lot of things.
It'd be best to try your hand with it first. BEFORE resorting to a popping a pill for this and getting a shot for that. I agree that it's not the end all be all for every person in every situation, but it CAN be for most! People are generally just too lazy to try. Or to stick with it.

 

[Timjoebillybob]

You apparently have to go on a severely restricted diet and the effects can be reversed in as little as a week.

That article was a bit I won't say misleading, but not that clear. Their blood sugar levels were "normal" after a week, but the pancreas wasn't producing insulin normally until 2 months in, and if I'm reading it right, the effects weren't reversed until 3 months on the diet.

I'll put the links to another report about it and the actual study below.

I'd be interested in learning the long-term outcome of these 11 folks in the study...

Diabetes is a chronic condition. Once you get it, you've always got it. One can never be fully "cured". A person can, however, control it to the point where meds aren't needed. It's like alcoholism "Once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic...even though you can be sober for 50+ years".

-J-

At least one person in the study had normal blood sugar levels 18 mo after the end of the study on a normal diet and no meds. Here are links to another article about it, and the actual published study.

Diabetes: Low-Calorie Diet 'Reverses' Type 2 Diabetes Says Newcastle University Professor Roy Taylor | UK News | Sky News

SpringerLink - Diabetologia, Online First

 

[schafe]

This may be not so new. Before my father passed away, I remember him saying that there were a few older doctors who cured patients of Diabetes, but almost starved them to death, before it worked. Of course at the time, I Poo-Pooed the idea as quackery, but dad insisted that one of those patients was a friend of his, and the guy was permanantly cured.
I'm just thankful that I haven't had to worry about that particular problem with my health.

 

[jsharmon7]

So does this diet "cure/reverse" diabetes or just enable a person to manage it more effectively? What I mean is, if you follow this diet for the specified time can you then return to a normal healthy diet without symptoms returning? If a person could get off the medications and keep their blood sugar in check then I'd say it would be worth it. Medications can be expensive, test strips are very expensive, and the possible long-term effects on vision and circulation are certainly no fun. I'm not diabetic but if I were, I'd have to talk to my doctor about this diet.

 

[96firephoenix]

Pretty cool. Will power being the key that I think a lot of them would rather not bother with.

The UK has socialized medicine. They could mandate the diet as terms of payout.

 

[aclark]

...
It's like alcoholism "Once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic...even though you can be sober for 50+ years".

-J-

Speaking of a total lack of self control.

Sorry I had to go a bit off topic here...

 

[christman]

The UK has socialized medicine. They could mandate the diet as terms of payout.

SIGN ME UP!

 

[Suprtek]

If I thought it had even a small chance of success, I'd try it in a minute. Unfortunately, I'm type one so I guess I'm just out of luck for now.

 

[DocBoCook]

They need to concentrate on the poor buggers (like me) who didnt' earn their Diabetes, but were born with it. Type 1 here.

 

[Suprtek]

They need to concentrate on the poor buggers (like me) who didnt' earn their Diabetes, but were born with it. Type 1 here.

Type 1 can do strange things too. I had a sudden unexplained onset of type 1 when I was 31 years old. It wasn't due to poor eating habits or health either. At the time I was in the best shape of my life and running 10 miles a day. I went from being completely normal to totally insulin dependent in a matter of a few weeks.

 

[DocBoCook]

Type 1 can do strange things too. I had a sudden unexplained onset of type 1 when I was 31 years old. It wasn't due to poor eating habits or health either. At the time I was in the best shape of my life and running 10 miles a day. I went from being completely normal to totally insulin dependent in a matter of a few weeks.

28 for me.

I was serving on an aircraft carrier and responsible for the Nuclear Exposure program. If it wasn't right, we didn't float. Needless to say, stress brought on a diminished immune system, then a virus, then pancreas no longer producing insulin. Then end of my Naval Career, a meager disability check and no one wanting to higher me for any jobs. Got to love it all

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

Man... You Type I folks, you have my empathy. I know how much I've struggled the last 18 months knowing I'm Type II. I just can't imagine adult onset Type I.

There are also different kinds of Type II, while we're on the subject.

Over-simplified, you can be insulin resistant, or you can have an inactive/hypoactive pancreas.

Personally, I was (and still slightly am) insulin resistant. All the extra fat I was hefting around messed up my cells' ability to process insulin. Therefore, I was not able to metabolize the sugars as efficiently as a normal body. Thankfully I still produce the correct amounts of insulin.

Once you move into hypoactive / inactive pancreas, you'll probably get stuck on the needle. This is about the only similarity with Type I Diabetes. (They have wholly different causes, but same effects)

And how about this for a nice good-night thought: If you live long enough, you'll become diabetic (if not already...ahem). The insulin producing cells in your pancreas have a lifespan. They'll eventually wear out.

-J-

 

[Suprtek]

There is one thing about type 1 or using insulin that could be considered an advantage. Insulin, when used properly can adjust blood glucose to proper levels quickly. Medications, diet, and lifestyle changes work well for many type 2 diabetics, but adjustments in glucose levels can take a while. This allows the long term affects of high glucose levels to accumulate over time.

The other side of that coin is the fact that glucose levels tend to change more gradually in type 2 verses type one. Using myself as an example, I know for a fact that it is possible to have a glucose level in the teens, then shoot up over 500, then back to the teens all in a matter of hours. Obviously, that required some major screw-ups on my part for that to happen, but it can happen. It makes for a pretty exhausting day. The point is, type 1 tends to require extreme vigilance if proper levels are to be maintained. This fact, however, takes nothing away from the seriousness of type 2.

If I may expand on Indy_Guy's explanation a bit, insulin is like a key that unlocks the cells so the glucose can get in and be used. Without it, glucose can build up in the blood. Hypoglycemia is the condition in which there is too much insulin or the cells are too sensitive to it creating low glucose levels. Hyperglycemia is the condition in which there is too little insulin or the cells are resistant to its affects creating high glucose levels.

The actual cause of diabetes in any form is not clearly understood. The association of obesity, poor diet, lifestyle, etc. are statistical. It was explained to me as an auto-immune disorder. In my case, my immune system decided that the insulin producing cells in my pancreas were the enemy and destroyed them. Why, no one really knows.

Whether its type 1 or type 2, diabetes is generally very manageable. The catch is the management has to come from the person with it. A doctor can provide guidance, but diabetes requires 24/7 attention to be really controlled. Few of us can afford to have a doctor by our side all the time.

If this treatment posted by the OP works for some people, I say that's awesome. Any success with treating or curing type 2 is bound to lead to advancements for type 1 as well. For now, I still have to test and/or inject 4-6 times daily to maintain the A1c of around 6.0 that I've had for over 10 years now.

Sorry if I thread-jacked or rambled. I've learned a lot about my condition over time and just thought I'd share a little.

 

[mrjarrell]

Looks like there's a lot of research going on in the diabetes realm these days. Here's another therapy that some Swiss scientists have come up with. Still years off and the research is currently focused on Type 2, (altho, I'm not so sure the therapy couldn't be used on Type 1's). Uses some cell therapy and blue light. Sounds science fictiony but don't they all?

BBC News - Researchers switch on genes with blue pulse