The strongest evidence we have right now suggests that type 2 diabetes is put into remission primarily because of weight loss. Remission is more likely if you lose weight as soon as possible after diagnosis. However, it is possible to reverse type 2 diabetes even 25 years after diagnosis. Standard medical methods of lifestyle manipulation can help, but many remissions are a consequence of gastric bypass surgery.
These people often experience a complete or temporary reversal of high glucose levels, due to the change in hormonal adjustment driven by surgery that improves glucose metabolism even before significant weight loss occurs. Research has found that the Pritikin Program can reduce fasting blood glucose levels by an average of 19% within two to three weeks, and reverse the diagnosis of prediabetic disease called metabolic syndrome within three weeks. It is commonly thought that type 2 diabetes is an adult disease, but younger people are being diagnosed with it as well. To reverse prediabetes, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends focusing on losing 5-7% of body weight and increasing physical activity.
Eating too few calories (500-600) two days a week and a normal diet the other days can also help people with type 2 diabetes lose weight and lower their blood sugar levels. Fasting can be a practical way to lose weight, but it's not a conventional treatment for type 2 diabetes. Not everyone who loses a lot of weight will be able to remit their diabetes, but one study showed that one man was able to reverse his type 2 diabetes in just three days by eating and exercising Pritikin style. It is important to note that if you see a product that claims to cure diabetes or replace your prescription diabetes medication, you should be careful.
Pharmacological interventions have done little to stop what some have called a diabetes pandemic. The best way to reverse type 2 diabetes is to lose weight as soon as possible after diagnosis and focus on healthy eating and physical activity. The Pritikin Program has been proven to reduce fasting blood glucose levels and reverse prediabetes in just three weeks, and it is possible to reverse type 2 diabetes even 25 years after diagnosis.
