Can I manage diabetes without medicine?
With Christine Nderitu
You probably know someone with diabetes who has since moved from taking medicine to managing the condition with diet and exercise. While this is not a cure, it puts the patient in remission, in which one can keep their blood sugar normal without taking any medication.
The key to remission has been found to be in weight loss. Research led by the University of Cambridge says weight loss of 10 per cent or more in the first five years of type two diabetes gives the greatest chance of putting the disease in remission. Research has also shown that losing around 15kg within three to five months also significantly increases remission chances. So what is the relationship between weight loss and diabetes remission?
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Well, according to scientists, since fat around the liver and pancreas influences the development of type two diabetes, reducing it has the opposite effect. Weight loss is also critical because, unlike other factors that influence type two diabetes such as age and family history, weight can be controlled.
This is not to say that everyone who achieves this weight loss goes into remission. But a weight loss of even five per cent of your body weight can help lower blood sugar levels, reduce number of medications to take and lower the risk of developing diabetes-related complications.
Diabetes remission has previously been achieved through drastic interventions such as extreme calorie restrictions and intensive weight loss programmes. These are however challenging to the individuals and much harder to achieve. A weight loss of 10 per cent of the body weight within five years is more motivating and achievable for a lot more people and should therefore be encouraged.
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