What is type 2 diabetes and how to reverse it?
Diabetes is a disorder of blood glucose and insulin. Insulin is a hormone produced by the beta cells of the pancreas and its role is to lower blood glucose by moving it out of the bloodstream and into the body’s cells. In diabetes there is a defect in the way a person makes and/or uses insulin causing high blood glucose levels.
High glucose in the blood can in turn damage blood vessels and can cause serious complications like retinopathy (vision problems), nephropathy (kidney damage), neuropathy (nerves damage), increase the risk for heart attacks, stroke and infections.
Type 1 Diabetes is an autoimmune disease, where the immune system attacks the pancreas and it fails to produce insulin. This form of diabetes occurs mostly in children but can also occur in adults. This type is NOT reversible.
In type 2 Diabetes, there are defects in both the production of insulin by the beta cells of pancreas (insulin deficiency) and the use of insulin by the cells of the body, particularly liver and muscles (insulin resistance). In the early course of the disease, insulin resistance predominates, that is there is too much insulin but it is not able to push the glucose into the cells. Later, as the disease progresses the beta cells cannot cope up with the increased insulin demand and their capacity starts to decrease (insulin deficiency).
So, to reverse type 2 diabetes we need to tackle two issues.
- Reversing insulin resistance, mostly at the liver and skeletal muscles level.
- Improving Beta cells function.
Both of these can be achieved by weight loss. That means, if you are able to lose 7 to 10% of your body weight you can easily reverse your type 2 diabetes. Following are the different scientifically proven methods by which we can achieve significant weight loss and type 2 diabetes reversal:
- Bariatric Surgery: Surgical procedure to bypass your stomach or restrict the capacity of stomach.
- Low calorie diet: A 800 to 1200 kcal diet for 3 months.
- Low carb/ low fat diet: A very low carbohydrate diet or a very low fat diet
- Fasting: 12 to 24 hours of fast 2 to 3 times a week
- MIT: An intravenous treatment to improve the hepatic insulin sensitivity
At Metfree Diabetes and Endocrine Centre, we discuss all the aspects of reversal with the patient and take part in the shared decision making process. Our 12 weeks’ intensive weight loss and T2 Diabetes reversal programs offer 24/7 assistance to the patients. Our team of doctor, dietician, physiotherapist and counsellor will formulate a plan and provide a detailed diet and exercise regime on daily basis. Every 2 weeks, group meeting will be conducted with the patients to discuss their progress. We shall help them to reduce their diabetes medicines according to their metabolic parameters. Our focus is all round metabolic improvement which includes improving sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Diabetes reversal is a process and focussing on the barriers is very important. Our counsellor will identify the stress factor and help the patients to effectively manage that.
To summarize, type 2 diabetes is REVERSIBLE if detected early and managed properly. Weight loss is the key to reversal. METfree Diabetes and Endocrine Centre has a dedicated and experienced team to help patients with their reversal process.
