Liquid Diet to Reverse Type 2 Diabetes

Can The Liquid Diet Reverse Type 2 Diabetes?

October 31, 2019

Yes, in many patients. The DiRECT trial used a liquid diet of shakes and soups at about 800 calories a day. It put almost half (45.6%) of participants into remission after one year. Remission tracked closely with weight loss. It is done only under strict medical supervision.

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Diabetes was the leading cause of death in the US in 2015. To date, it follows closely behind cardiovascular disease and cancer.

For many people, a type 2 diabetes diagnosis can be crushing. It comes with lots of risks and unknowns. It also means facing rising health care costs to manage a long-term condition. Treating diabetes in the US costs about $7,900 per person each year.

Across the Atlantic, the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) is looking for ways to curb the type 2 diabetes epidemic. The epidemic is straining an NHS budget that is already stretched thin. Toward the end of last year, the NHS started a program to reverse the disease. It puts 5,000 patients on a liquid diet of just over 800 calories a day for 120 days. This is part of the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme (NHS DPP), which is meant for people at risk of type 2 diabetes. The project follows a highly successful trial of the same kind. The liquid diet limits how many calories patients take in. The hope is that it helps them reach a healthy weight and a healthy lifestyle. In the end, these lifestyle changes should lead to diabetes reversal.

What is type 2 diabetes?

Diabetes is a condition that makes a person’s blood sugar too high. Type 2 diabetes happens when the body slowly stops responding to insulin. This is called insulin resistance. The pancreas then pumps out more insulin, which leads to too much insulin in the body. In time, insulin levels may fall when the cells that make it are worn out.

Type 2 diabetes is linked to obesity and cancer. The good news is that diet and lifestyle changes can prevent it.

In the US, about 100 million people live with diabetes or prediabetes. Nine out of 10 diabetes cases are type 2. The study mentioned above suggested that a liquid diet could help reverse diabetes in most patients.

What do you eat on an 800-calorie liquid diet?

A liquid diet (like the one in the study) is usually a very low-calorie diet. It usually means eating about 800 calories a day or less. To put this in perspective, that is a third of what a man usually eats. It is half of what a woman should eat.

According to the NHS, the liquid diet is made up of shakes and soups. A person should stay on it for no more than 12 weeks. They should do it only under strict medical supervision.

Side effects to expect include:

Dry mouth
Constipation
Diarrhea
Headaches
Dizziness
Cramps
Hair thinning

This diet is not suitable for everyone.

Successful trial

The landmark study is called DiRECT. That stands for Diabetes Remission Clinical Trial. The study is not complete, but early findings have caused lots of excitement. So much so that NHS England has committed to piloting a type 2 diabetes remission program in 2019. It will have about 5,000 study participants.

The first-year results showed that almost half (45.6%) of those in the program were in remission after a year. By the end of the second year, 70% of them were still in remission. Overall, 30% of study participants were still in remission after two years. This is good news for people with diabetes. It kills the myth that this disease cannot be reversed.

The second-year results showed a close correlation between type 2 diabetes remission and weight loss. Most people who lost more than 10 kilos stayed in remission after two years. Weight loss was also associated with a better quality of life and better blood glucose (sugar) control. It was also associated with less need for diabetes drugs.

The researchers admitted that this approach cannot work for everyone. It is important to understand the biology behind remission before starting any treatment.

What does type 2 diabetes remission mean?

Diabetes remission means a person diagnosed with diabetes can keep normal blood glucose levels without any medication. It does not mean diabetes is gone for good. It means the person lives symptom-free and medication-free. A person in remission still needs regular check-ups and follow-up with a doctor.

What is the NHS plan for type 2 diabetes remission?

The NHS long-term plan is to help people with type 2 diabetes take charge of their own health. By cutting calories and losing weight, most patients can reverse their diabetes.

In the end, this will lower health care costs for the NHS and for patients. Speaking to the press, NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens said this:

“However this isn’t a battle that the NHS can win on its own. The NHS pound will go further if the food industry also takes action to cut junk calories and added sugar and salt from processed food, TV suppers, and fast food takeaways.”

Frequently asked questions

Can a person with type 2 diabetes go into remission?

Yes. In the DiRECT trial, people went on a liquid diet of about 800 calories a day. Almost half (45.6%) of them were in remission after one year. Remission tracked closely with weight loss. Most people who lost more than 10 kilos kept their remission after two years. The researchers were clear that the approach does not work for everyone.

How long can you stay on an 800-calorie liquid diet?

According to the NHS, no more than 12 weeks, and only under strict medical supervision. The diet gives about 800 calories a day or less. That is about a third of what a man usually eats and half of what a woman should eat. That is why it is a supervised treatment, and it is not suitable for everyone.

What are the side effects of an 800-calorie diet?

Expect some of these: dry mouth, constipation, diarrhea, headaches, dizziness, cramps and hair thinning. They come from cutting intake to about 800 calories a day of shakes and soups. That is why the diet runs for a limited time and only under strict medical supervision.

Does remission mean type 2 diabetes is cured?

No. Remission means a person diagnosed with diabetes keeps normal blood glucose levels without any medication. They live symptom-free and medication-free. But the diabetes has not gone for good. A person in remission still needs regular check-ups and follow-up with a doctor to stay there.