Yes, Type 2 Diabetes is Reversible, as Soon as the Patient Chooses To Eat Less
The evidence has been in place for some years to show that low calorie diets can reverse type 2 diabetes even in comparatively late stages. For the vast majority of patients, this is a disease of choice: they chose to become fat enough to suffer sufficient metabolic disruption to produce the condition, as well as to accelerate the aging process, and they choose to remain fat enough to maintain this level of damage. Yes, eating less and exercising more is harder than it used to be, in this environment of low-cost calories, comfort, and convenience, but "harder" is not "I have no choice in this."
A body of research putting people with type 2 diabetes on a low calorie diet has confirmed the underlying causes of the condition and established that it is reversible. Research has revealed that for people with type 2 diabetes: (a) excess calories leads to excess fat in the liver; (b) as a result, the liver responds poorly to insulin and produces too much glucose; (c) excess fat in the liver is passed on to the pancreas, causing the insulin producing cells to fail; (d) losing less than 1 gram of fat from the pancreas through diet can re-start the normal production of insulin, reversing type 2 diabetes; (e) this reversal of diabetes remains possible for at least 10 years after the onset of the condition.
"I think the real importance of this work is for the patients themselves. Many have described to me how embarking on the low calorie diet has been the only option to prevent what they thought - or had been told - was an inevitable decline into further medication and further ill health because of their diabetes. By studying the underlying mechanisms we have been able to demonstrate the simplicity of type 2 diabetes." A body of research now confirms the Twin Cycle Hypothesis - that Type 2 diabetes is caused by excess fat actually within both liver and pancreas. This causes the liver to respond poorly to insulin. As insulin controls the normal process of making glucose, the liver then produces too much glucose. Simultaneously, excess fat in the liver increases the normal process of export of fat to all tissues. In the pancreas, this excess fat causes the insulin producing cells to fail.
The Counterpoint study, which was published in 2011, confirmed that if excess food intake was sharply decreased through a very low calorie diet, all these abnormal factors would be reversed. The study showed a profound fall in liver fat content resulting in normalisation of hepatic insulin sensitivity within 7 days of starting a very low calorie diet in people with type 2 diabetes. Fasting plasma glucose became normal in 7 days. Over 8 weeks, the raised pancreas fat content fell and normal first phase insulin secretion became re-established, with normal plasma glucose control. "The good news for people with Type 2 diabetes is that our work shows that even if you have had the condition for 10 years, you are likely to be able to reverse it by moving that all-important tiny amount of fat out of the pancreas. At present, this can only be done through substantial weight loss." The Counterbalance study published in 2016, demonstrated that type 2 diabetes remains reversible for up to 10 years in most people, and also that the normal metabolism persists long term, as long as the person doesn't regain the weight.
Link: http://www.ncl.ac.uk/press/news/2017/09/type2diabetesisreversible/
I don't know about being overweight just being a choice. I saw a documentary featuring an NHS male nurse, and for him chocolate seemed as addictive as crack.
Diabetics on metformin seem to live longer than non diabetics, so the problem is if you cure your diabetes then you are no longer prescribed metformin.
Diabetics on metformin do not live longer than non diabetics. This is a myth. Diabetics on metformin live as long as non diabetics.
There was a recent statistical analysis posted on the longevity reddit and I remember it correctly in the most recent paper the diabetic+metformin mortality curve was so consistently close to non-diabetics regardless of age the conclusion is undeniable - metformin is a "cure" for diabetes, but that's about all it is.
And that is still good.
Sadly, we proved this in my own family. After my grandmother's mind was lost to Alzheimer's, my grandfather fed her exactly what the nurses/doctors told him to feed her, and obviously she couldn't object or cheat. Even on total bedrest (because she couldn't walk or control her limbs) she lost a bunch of weight and all her Metabolic Disorder symptoms disappeared. Her body was pretty healthy, all things considered, but the damage she'd done to her mind was permanent.
Don't do this to yourselves, or put your family through it. I find the easiest way to stick to a good diet is: eat tons of vegetables, and skip the occasional meal. I find eating a nice lunch and then skipping dinner (or just having something very light, like salad or roast vegetables) is the easiest maintenance method.
Huh? Did you really expect that a diet could reverse Alzheimer's progression?
BTW, if you eat only vegetables, you will have a serious deficiency of vitamin B12, with severe health consequences: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_B12_deficiency
Antonio: You should eat Omega 3 eggs to get your Vitamin B12, as well as keeping your LDL low and raising your HDL.
Metformin and statins made my brother with type II get really thin so he had to stop.
Wow, supress opinions and facts much?
As I said my brother's type II did not benefit from CR
@john hewitt: Junk comments will get removed. I have little patience these days with people who are not adding value to whatever conversations take place here. Be useful, or find somewhere else to discuss the topic.
thanks for the feedback, my previous comment presenting one contrary fact was none of those things. it was one single observation counter to the headline, but obviously didn't nulify it. I will bear the tight sensitivities of the moderators in mind for the future.
as mentioned, I have been researching aging since the late 80's, when I became one of the first few cryonicists, at least in my region of the NE, and do not post junk. My experience has been that these fields, for whatever reason, are made up of mostly males, and I therefore assume I am dealing with males, however nameless their pseudonymns may appear. please advise if this assumption is incorrect.
furthermore, I have promoted this blog now twice on much larger forums, last week in a publication link that was removed for some reason, and as I mentionedin a major publication due out in December for 'Inference'
finally, the content here is great, that's why I comment sometimes, I will eave if that is what you want.
Yes, I think CR is complete junk and don;t know why it is continually mentioned here, thats my opinion.
I also know that senolytics and allotopic expression is bunk too, as we all will soon see. other than that, content is good.