In a new experiment aiming at finding a cure for type 2 diabetes, British researchers said almost half of the patients partaking in the study had recovered. Experts described the experience as a pioneering step.
The new study published in The Lancet magazine was only conducted over patients who were diagnosed during the past six years. The 298 participants spent up to five months on a low-calorie diet of soups and liquids to trigger massive weight loss during the experiment, which took place at the Glasgow University in Scotland and Newcastle in England.
The BBC quoted Isobel Murray, 65, who weighed 95 kilograms at the beginning of the experiment, and always suffered from blood sugar levels, saying that she lost over 25 kg and no longer needs diabetes pills.
She went on to the all-liquid diet for 17 weeks, giving up cooking and shopping.
She even ate apart from her husband, and results were great. Meals came in the form of sachet of powder that is stirred in water to make a soup or shake. They contain about 200 calories.
Prof. Roy Taylor, from Newcastle University who is known for his research on the possibility of eradicating type 2 diabetes (see Asharq Al-Awsat September 14 2017): “reducing calorie intake by 75% heals Diabetes. The experience is very important because it proves that diabetes is a preventable disease.”
Taylor is known for his experimental scientific evidence, indicating that the pancreas release fat which leads to recovery from the disease because fats inhibit the action of insulin-secreting cells in the pancreas.
Prof. Mike Lean, from Glasgow University, told the BBC: "We now have clear evidence that weight loss of 10-15kg is enough to turn this disease around.”
The number of people with diabetes worldwide was 422 million in 2014; according to the World Health Organization, 8.5% of the world's adults suffer from it.
