Type 2 diabetes is caused by lifestyle choices, namely poor diet and little movement. Once a person faces a diabetes diagnosis, it is often treated as if the diagnosis is permanent.
The latest research, however, says otherwise.
Weight Loss May Reverse Type 2 Diabetes
A 2016 study from Newcastle University investigated the relationship between weight loss and diabetes. The participants of the study were given a calorie-restricted diet for two months. During the study, they were limited to 700 calories per day.
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At the end of the study, the participants averaged a 31-pound weight loss. Half of the participants had significant drops in their blood sugar levels as a result. This significant drop in blood sugar led many of them to a pre-diabetes diagnosis in place of their original type 2 diabetes diagnosis.
This wasn’t just a flash coincidence, either. Six months later, when the researchers followed up with the participants, they were still within the pre-diabetes range.
Essentially, they reversed their diabetes diagnosis.
So, how did this happen?
When there is too much fat build up in the pancreas, the organ has difficulty producing insulin. Insulin is what helps control blood sugar. This, in essence, is what diabetes is.
When you lose weight, however, you first lose the fat that your organs are holding. One of these organs to benefit from the fat loss is the pancreas. When the pancreas is no longer weighed down by fat, it can normally produce insulin once again.
Within the first 22 to 31 pounds lost, they found, the built up fat in the organs is burned. This is all it takes for the organs to begin working at optimal levels again.
Easy Tips to Lose Weight
Don’t worry; you don’t need to severely restrict your calories like the participants in the study, though. Instead, try these tips to shed the pounds and hopefully jumpstart your pancreas:
- 30 minutes of walking. Try to go for a walk around the neighborhood after dinner each day. This will help your body function properly as well as burn calories. It will also help boost your mood, too!
- Switch to water. Rather than wasting calories on flavored drinks or sugary coffee, stick to water. Can’t cut your coffee habit? Try coffee with half-and-half instead of your usual creamer. It will cut calories, and you will still get the caffeine.
- Eat more veggies. This is always an obvious answer, but it’s because it works! Try incorporating more raw veggies in your diet. Also cut back on saucy meals, which are often high in calories.
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[expand title=”References“]
Men’s Health. URL link. Retrieved September 14, 2017.
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