News Alert-Cutting Calories Can Reverse Diabetes!

On Friday, scientists from Newcastle University in the United Kingdom released details from an exciting new study. They found that people who have type 2 diabetes can reverse the disease by sticking to a 600-calorie diet for two months.

The study—funded by Diabetes UK—involved 11 participants, seven of whom were able to cure their diabetes with a diet consisting of liquid drinks and non-starchy vegetables. The researchers stated that this extremely low-calorie diet reduced the amount of fat in the pancreas, which interferes with insulin production.

After the eight-week diet ended, these people returned to eating a normal diet, with smaller portion sizes and healthier food choices. When 10 of the 11 were retested, seven were still free of diabetes.

I’m not the least bit surprised at these results. Since I wrote Reversing Diabetes back in the 1980s, I’ve been saying that weight loss can eliminate diabetes. Studies have shown that reducing your weight by just 5-10 percent can make a significant difference in blood sugar control.

Health & Healing subscriber Jason Davis from Lilburn, GA, was diagnosed with diabetes in 2002. He lost 100 pounds and his diabetes right along with it. A few months ago, I wrote about Elizabeth Billups who had out-of-control diabetes when she arrived at the Whitaker Wellness Institute in April 2010—her blood sugar and hemoglobin A1C levels were especially high at 300 and 12.8, respectively. With healthier eating and a weight loss of 20 pounds, her diabetes disappeared.

The bottom line is that diabetes can be reversed by losing weight. But a 600-calories-a-day diet—even though it may have worked—is extreme. Even the researchers who conducted this study conceded that an extremely small minority of people would be able to stick with such a Spartan diet.

I suggest you try the approach that’s worked for hundreds of my patients and Health & Healing subscribers: the “mini-fast with exercise” program. This regimen helps with weight reduction and blood sugar control—plus it’s sustainable, which is the key to defeating diabetes for life.