A randomized controlled trial published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism has shown that intermittent fasting may lead to complete diabetes remission in patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
The study included 32 individuals ages 38 to 72 years who had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. The participants were randomized into a control group and a group that received an intermittent fasting intervention for three months. The researchers conducted follow-ups at 3 months and 12 months after the intervention to measure outcomes including diabetes remission, HbA1C levels, fasting blood glucose, blood pressure, weight, quality of life, and medication costs.
At the 3-month follow-up, almost 50% of the participants in the intermittent fasting group had achieved diabetes remission. Additionally, the intermittent fasting group had reduced their mean body weight by about 13 pounds after 3 months. At the 12-month follow-up, over 44% of participants in the fasting group showed sustained diabetes remission. Additionally, the medication costs in the fasting group were almost 80% lower than costs in the control group.
Type 2 diabetes, along with many other metabolic diseases, puts patients at greater risk of developing heart disease. Fortunately, type 2 diabetes is not a permanent disease, and weight loss, diet, and exercise can improve type 2 diabetes and even cause it to go into remission. As the authors of the study noted, intermittent fasting could help millions of people with type 2 diabetes achieve remission and lower their medication costs. While this was a relatively small study, the results have important implications for diabetes patients and the larger medical community.
Savannah (she/her) is a scientific writer specializing in cardiology at Labroots. Her background is in medical writing with significant experience in obesity, oncology, and infectious diseases. She has conducted research in microbial biophysics, optics, and education. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Oregon.
