Good news for diabetics: Fasting diet can reverse diabetes (Photo : Getty Images)
If reports are anything to go by, fasting diet can reverse diabetes.
According to a new study, a kind of fasting diet can reprogramme pancreas cells, enhance the growth of insulin-producing pancreatic cells and decrease symptoms of Type 2 diabetes and Type 1 diabetes, ABC News reported.
In the study, mice were put on fasting mimicking diet (FMD) for four days every week that showed amazing reversal of diabetes. The mice regained healthy insulin production and showed stable levels of blood glucose - even in the later stages of diabetes.
The genes generally active in the developing pancreas of fetal/embryonic mice are reactivated in diabetic adult mice when cycling fasting mimicking diet with regular diets. This boosts protein neurogenin-3 (Ngn3) production and, as a consequence, promotes the creation of healthy and new insulin-producing beta cells.
Scientists analyzed pancreatic cell cultures from donors and discovered that, in cells from Type 1 diabetic patients, nutrients imitating fasting enhanced expression of insulin and the Ngn3 protein production.
According to researchers, individuals who have diabetes could one day be treated with Fasting Mimicking Diet for some days every month, consume a regular diet for the remaining of the month, and notice positive results in their ability to regulate their blood sugar by enhancing insulin function and producing normal insulin levels.
Scientists are hopeful about the chances of this treatment when it comes to promoting the production of insulin among individuals who suffer from Type 2 diabetes. The disease remains a national problem in the US.
However, the rates of diagnosis have begun to drop. Over 29 million individuals suffer from diabetes across the nation, and about 86 million individuals have prediabetes that raises the risk of contracting diabetes and other chronic diseases, CDC reported.
Among individuals who suffer from the disease, between 90% and 95% are diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and Type 1 diabetes accounts for about 5%. Back in 2013, diabetes was the seventh leading cause of death in the US, and it is the primary cause of lower-limb amputations, adult-onset blindness and kidney failure.
In addition, diabetes is extremely costly when it comes to treatment, accounting for over 20% of health care spending.
