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Writer's pictureJanice Tracey

Type 2 Diabetes and the Food you Eat.



Time and time again we see reports of people with a diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes being reversed through making different nutritional choices. To understand this, it is first necessary to understand how and why people might get a diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes or Pre-Diabetes.

The most common cause of type 2 diabetes is obesity-related, which generally follows a vicious cycle pattern:

  • Diet high in calories -particularly if high in refined carbohydrates.

  • Insulin levels in the bloodstream rise to cope with the high- and quick-acting carb intake.

  • Weight is gained around the belly (central or truncal obesity).

  • Consistently high insulin levels lead to the body’s cells becoming resistant to insulin and commonly lead to weight gain.

  • High insulin levels also increase weight gain.

  • Insulin resistance leads to an increase in blood sugar levels, particularly after meals.

  • The pancreas produces more insulin to cope with rising blood sugar levels.

  • High sugar levels lead to feelings of lethargy and high insulin levels lead to increased hunger.

  • Hunger often leads to overeating and lethargy, with less physical activity being taken.

  • Overeating, less activity and high insulin levels all lead to further weight gain and more insulin resistance.

  • Consistently high demand on the pancreas to produce extra insulin leads to damage of the pancreas’ insulin-producing beta cells.

  • Beta cell damage results in the body struggling to produce enough insulin, and steeper rises in blood sugar levels leads to more recognisable symptoms of diabetes, such as thirst and a frequent need to urinate


How type 2 Diabetes affects the body

To reverse diabetes, you need to be able to break this cycle by taking the strain off your insulin-producing cells.

Low-carbohydrate diets are known for lowering the amount of insulin the body needs to produce, resulting in less insulin resistance.

A study published in 2014 by the Second University of Naples showed that a low-carbohydrate Mediterranean diet was able to achieve significant rates of remission in people with type 2 diabetes. After one year of following the diet, 15% of participants achieved remission and, after six years, 5% had achieved remission on the diet – a stunning achievement.

By comparison, low-fat diets were not as effective in the study. After one year, 4% of participants on a low-fat diet had achieved remission and, after six years, 0% of participants had achieved remission.

A low GL style diet, as espoused by Patrick Holford, has also been found to be effective in reversing Type 2 Diabetes.

(Content from Diabetes.co.uk 2018)

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