People who suffer from diabetes need to be more mindful of their health. Their food choices are limited, and while this makes it more challenging for them, it’s also making the right choices. At this point, weight management is the best way to go.
So, how do you manage your weight? There are several diets available out there. Unfortunately, they have to choose carefully so that their sugar levels don’t fluctuate as they try to lead healthy lives. It’s really a matter of being wise and studying what the diet entails.
All about Diabetes
Scientists have been looking into type 2 diabetes and the effects it has on the body for years now. What they discovered is that losing weight can lead to remission. Still, all is not finished. That’s because previous studies have brought about conflicting results. What diet works best? That question needed to be answered. So, researchers put their heads together and a recent review of previously published data discovered how very low energy diets and meal replacement were the most effective way to manage weight, especially with those who have to go through life with type 2 diabetes.
In fact, the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) has also looked into the data and reports that 1 in 10 adults are living with diabetes. And for many of these cases, around 90 percent, they suffer from type 2 diabetes . They also made an estimation and the results are somewhat staggering. The foresee how diabetes will affect around 643 million people worldwide by 2030. The number will further rise to 784 million by the year 2045.
So, several studies out there have researched the impact of weight loss on those who suffer from type 2 diabetes. However, what they found was that weight loss can vary between diets. In fact, the comparisons they made have produced results that conflicted one another. Experts are still unsure about which type of diet these medical professionals should recommend to their patients.
A global team was formed and these made up of researchers who knew the field well. This was led by Prof. Michael Lean of the University of Glasgow in the United Kingdom. What they did was continue to examine the previous research made by experts. Their goal was to find the most effective dietary approach when it comes to weight loss, maintaining it, and then achieving remission from type 2 diabetes. The research is part of a program of work that’s meant to update and enhance the recommendations of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes.
They did find something. They discovered that very low energy diets and meal replacements were the best methods to employ for people with type 2 diabetes, especially in terms of weight management. The results of the review now appear in the journalDiabetologia.
Dr. Lucy Chambers, on the other hand, is the head of Research Communications at Diabetes UK. She spoke to about it and said, “This review, which combines findings from many studies, answers important questions about which diets are most effective for weight loss and remission in people with type 2 diabetes.”
The Published Research Reviewed
It’s true that it’s a widely accepted fact by experts that weight loss is beneficial when treating type 2 diabetes. The landmark Diabetes Remission Clinical Trial (DiRECT), which was led by Prof. Lean, showed that remission from type 2 diabetes is very attainable. All they need to do is maintain over 10 kilograms (kg), or 22 pounds (lb), of weight loss when they manage their daily diet.
Prof. Lean collaborated with experts to build on this research. He worked with Dr. Chaitong Churuangsuk and chis colleagues from the University of Glasgow and other researchers from the University of Cambridge, U.K., and the University of Otago in New Zealand.
What the team of experts first do is performe an “umbrella review” of previously published data from studies that came from different parts of the world. They collected previous meta-analyses that looked into which type of diet is best for achieving weight loss in those who have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. In order to implement organization and credibility, they also conducted a new systematic review of published studies of diets for type 2 diabetes remission.
The Findings of the Study
The results of the analysis made were reviewed and these show that weight management programs that included very low energy diets and formula meal replacements paved the way for greater weight losses than conventional low energy diets that people often choose.
Hence, the saw that programs that required total diet replacement from the very beginning were the most effective approach for type 2 diabetes remission. They reported for a median 54 percent of the participants at after a year of their diet. Additionally, that contain high amounts of protein or those that did Mediterranean, vegetarian, and low glycemic diets achieved very little, around 0.3–2 kg (0.7–4.4 lb), or no difference in weight loss, compared with the conventional diets everyone has become familiar with.
“It was a bit of a shock, given all the hype and media attention, to discover how poor the evidence is for the low carb, or ketogenic, diets,” Prof. Lean said when he spoke to MNT. He further explained, “This marketing of low carb diets often uses very persuasive but incorrect science, suggesting that only one nutrient (carbohydrate) and one hormone (insulin) control our metabolism and disease risks.”
According to Prof. Lean, “Celebrities and politicians have been persuaded, but dozens of clinical trials have been done, and they simply do not show any advantage for low carb diets. What matters is keeping your weight as near to ideal as possible.”
Limitations of the Study
There are limitations to the study made, however. One of which is the current review that most of the available evidence only considers the short-term outcomes. The benefits of weight loss on type 2 diabetes are more dependent mostly on long-term control of their weight. Also, they noted that keeping weight lower may ask the patients to employ different behavioral approaches. That’s because those that work well for the initial weight loss phase may not be effective in the long run. Data that go beyond a year are only shown in a few trials made.
Further Work Needed
According to the research team behind the study, further research that is well conducted is much needed to assess longer-term impacts on weight, glycemic control, clinical outcomes, and diabetes complications.
Prof. Lean said to MNT that “the big need is to find better ways to help people avoid returning to the eating patterns [that] caused them to gain weight and develop [type 2 diabetes]. We know from DiRECT that people who lose weight and get a remission of their diabetes will relapse if they regain weight.”
He also explained, “This is not easy, because social marketing by the food industry over the last 40 or 50 years has ‘normalized’ eating habits that have resulted in people being on average about 1 stone — 7kg — heavier now, and many of them much heavier at younger ages.”
Dr. Chambers to this statement saying, “It’s important to remember that there’s no one-size-fits-all ‘diet for diabetes.’ Low calorie diets can be challenging, and if you have [type 2 diabetes] and want to lose weight, getting support from a healthcare professional can help you find an approach that is safe and works for you.”
Recommended For You
