Diabetes is considered a lifelong progressive condition, but a study gives hope to millions of people struggling with it as researchers say diabetic remission is possible through a simple dietary intervention.
A patient is considered to be in diabetic remission when their blood sugar drops below the diabetic threshold levels and remains there for at least three months, without any glucose-lowering medications. Diabetic remission does not mean that the patients will not have high blood sugar levels later in life, but will have no symptoms and complications from the condition.
A recent study led by a team of researchers from the NHS, U.K. found that a weight loss diet strategy termed "soups and shakes diet" that involves the use of nutritionally formulated products such as soups, shakes, and bars could lead to remission of type 2 diabetes.
The research team came across the benefits after examining participants of the NHS Type 2 Diabetes Path to Remission (T2DR) program, a 12-month behavioral intervention program for weight loss. The program included an initial 3-month period of total diet replacement during which the participants had nutritionally formulated products such as soups, shakes, and bars with a total daily calorie intake of 800 to 900 kcal.
Out of 7,540 people referred to the T2DR, 1,740 individuals began total diet replacement before January 2022 and completed 12 months, with an average weight loss of 8.3% or 9.4 kg.
Among a subgroup of 710 participants who started the program before January 2022 and had two HbA1c measurements recorded, the diabetes remission rate was 27%, with a mean weight loss of 13.4%. For the 945 participants who completed the program and had two HbA1c measurements recorded, the average weight loss was 10.3 kg, and their remission rate was 32%.
"These latest findings add to the real-world evidence that the NHS England Type 2 Diabetes Path to Remission Program can help thousands of people living with type 2 diabetes on their weight loss and remission journey, which we know is tough and having support is critical. We hope to see even more people benefiting in years to come and an increase in referrals to the program especially for people recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and in younger people where the impact of type 2 diabetes and remission from it is greatest," said Dr Elizabeth Robertson, Director of Research at Diabetes UK.
