INTRODUCTION:
Can Type 2 Diabetes be Reversed?
This is a common question which has been asked by diabetic patients since centuries. In the past, it was assumed that type 2 diabetes cannot be reversed. But as per the latest research it has been found that type 2 diabetes in newly diagnosed patients can be reversed.
PROCESS:
Though it has been said it can be reversed, still some experts say that it will be expressed later again and this is not a reversal but just a delay of the onset. There are many controversies regarding the issue.
As per a recent study it was shown that seven out of eleven people survived from type 2 diabetes and their blood glucose levels returned to normal. These people had a restricted diet with low calories which reduced the levels of fat in liver and pancreas which further brought the insulin production back to normal. But here again, all the people could not survive the effects. This shows that the change depends on the susceptibility of the person. Greater is the susceptibility of the person to diabetes lesser is the chance of reversal. Besides this, the reversal is possible only in the initial stages when the beat cells are not completely exhausted and the insulin production can be restored by just reducing the burden on them.
Some experts state that, starvation can reduce the severity of type 2 diabetes because the blood glucose levels are reduced. They say that this has been an age old practice and is known since long and there is nothing new regarding reversal of type 2 diabetes by a low calorie diet.
It has also been shown that a period of marked weight loss can also produce reversal of type 2 diabetes. It should also be seen that this drastic weight loss and low calorie diet should be under constant medical supervision, so that these things do not lead to any other complications.
Some of the measures which may be employed to reverse type 2 diabetes are:
- Taking a high fiber content food with plant based foods.
- Eating foods of low glycemic index.
- Regular Exercise of atleast 30 minutes a day nearly five times a week.
- Intake of multivitamins, fish oil, vitamin D. A good balance should be achieved in between glucose and insulin levels in the blood.
CONCLUSION:
Reversal of type 2 diabetes promises a good future for the diabetic patients of today. But it is still in the pipeline and the effects are yet to be proved. Though the effects are good but it is not clearly known how long they last. Another restriction is that it is helpful only if the diabetes is in initial conditions and there is only a partial loss of the beta cell function. So, for reversal the condition should be diagnosed as early as possible. The measures for reversal are of no use if the disease is diagnosed in the later stages.