Weight loss is a safe way to get rid of type 2 diabetes, new research shows.
One in three people who lose weight quickly and then keep it off have normal blood sugar levels.
The disease could be kept in check for at least two years without medication, says Ulf Risérus, professor of clinical nutrition and metabolism at Uppsala University, to Dagens Nyheter.
Diabetes is one of the most common diseases of our time. Changed lifestyles in recent years have led to us eating worse, moving less, stressing more – and gaining more weight. And that, in turn, has caused and still causes the percentage with type 2 diabetes to rise at a rapid rate. Both nationally and globally, writes Sweden’s Riksdag in a motion regarding diabetes care in Sweden. So, what can we do to stop the spread of this modern disease of welfare, as type 2 diabetes is often referred to as? The solution is surprisingly simple, but perhaps the crux is putting the theory into practice among so many people that it applies after all.
Weight loss a solution to type 2 diabetes
The good news, for you with type 2 diabetes, is that new research shows that your diabetes can be fought with weight loss. The European Diabetes Association (EASD) recently presented new guidelines for diet in diabetes and pointed to the importance of losing weight. It is simply about spreading knowledge and creating awareness about how to introduce healthier lifestyles. Because what exactly is type 2 diabetes? Yes, a disease that often occurs as a result of prolonged elevated blood sugar levels. This, in turn, is often due to the fact that you have eaten both too poorly and too much over a longer period. In the past, diabetes was therefore called “diabetes”. Not because you ate too much sugar, as you might think, but because the disease is characterized by too high a sugar content in the blood. Tricky? Not really.
Why you get diabetes
Just like a car needs gas to run, we humans need food to function. The food is converted in the body into glucose or dextrose. Every time you eat, the amount of sugar in the blood rises. In order for the sugar to be taken up by the cells, converted into energy and transported via the blood to all organs, the hormone insulin is needed. In a normally functioning body, the pancreas produces it, but if you have type 1 diabetes, insulin production is disturbed. And if you have type 2 diabetes, the production works, but is insufficient. In addition, the body is less sensitive to insulin, one is so-called insulin resistant, and then the body cannot assimilate the energy from the food as it should. In both cases, insulin must be administered “artificially”, i.e. via insulin syringes, insulin pump or insulin pen. In the case of type 2 diabetes, you can also receive glucose-lowering treatment via tablets.
Weight loss can normalize blood sugar levels
According to the EASD, a first step can be to lose weight with a so-called VLED diet (Very Low Energy diet*).
Research shows that in about one in three people with type 2 diabetes who lose weight quickly, and then keep the weight off, their blood sugar levels return to normal. The disease could be kept in check for at least two years without medication, says Ulf Risérus, professor of clinical nutrition and metabolism at Uppsala University, to Dagens Nyheter.
At the same time, the new findings only apply to people who have had diabetes for a relatively short time (no more than six years), which suggests that the earlier you are diagnosed and the earlier you achieve weight loss – the greater the chance of getting rid of your type 2 diabetes.
The actual method of weight loss not central
Something the researchers also looked at was what kind of fat and carbohydrates were good for health, rather than just looking at nutrient distribution. One exception was that people over 65 seemed to feel better from a diet with a little more protein, up to 20 percent.
The study also showed that a low-fat diet and a low-carbohydrate diet were equally effective for weight loss. Rather, it was about finding a sustainable, more long-term way to lose weight and thus reduce the risks of cardiovascular diseases.
Tre metoder för viktnedgång vid typ 2-diabetes
In the guidelines, three different methods for weight loss in the treatment of type 2 diabetes were highlighted, according to Dagens Nyheter:
- Mediterranean diet
- Nordic healthy diet
- Vegetarian diet
These three methods of weight loss all contain the following foods:
- Whole grains
- Dietary fiber
- Vegetables
- Legumes
- Nuts
- Fruit
- Unsaturated fats from the plant kingdom
At the same time, they have a limited amount of sugar and saturated fat. The Mediterranean diet and the Nordic diet also consist of a lot of fish, but smaller amounts of red meat – something that, according to Ulf Risérus, both increases the chance of weight loss and improves blood fats and blood sugar levels. And that, in turn, reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease.
A method of weight loss that is sustainable
The VLED diet that EASD advocates – also called VLCD (Very Low Calorie Diet) – is a collective name for low-calorie diets where you simply replace your meals with, for example, shakes, soups, bars or powders. At NordIQ, however, we do NOT recommend these types of weight loss methods, as they often involve rapid weight loss – only to gain all the excess weight back once you stop. Everyone is different, of course, and the important thing is to find a way that suits you and that you feel can work in the long term. But if you are looking for sustainable and long-term weight loss, it is better to find a method for weight loss that you can live with in your everyday life. Because then the chance that you will succeed in losing weight and also maintaining your new weight is significantly greater.
What is diabetes?
Type 2 diabetes
- Mostly affects the elderly, but also children and overweight adolescents.
- May take a long time to discover.
- Make up 90% of all diabetics and at least 10% of Sweden’s residents over 65.
- Currently increasing at the same rate as obesity in the world (with the highest rate of increase in developing countries, but doubling in Sweden in the last 20 years).
- Up to 80% also suffer from obesity.
- May be caused by insulin production not being sufficient for a person who is gaining weight quickly.
- Can also be due to the body developing insulin resistance.
Type 1 diabetes
- Usually affects younger people.
- Can break out quickly.
- Today make up 10% of all people with diabetes, of which 7,000 are children and young people.
- Currently increasing throughout Scandinavia.
- Caused by the body’s own insulin production being disrupted or stopping working completely.
- Weight does not play a role in the risk of contracting the disease.
- Is usually hereditary.
- It is NOT possible to eat healthy. But research with transplantation of insulin-producing cells and also attempts to stop the autoimmune process that causes the insulin-producing cells to stop producing insulin. But type 1 diabetes cannot currently be cured.
* Please note! At NordIQ, we do NOT recommend skipping/replacing meals with shakes, soups, bars or powders to achieve the desired weight loss, but advocate a healthy and balanced diet consisting of good, nutritious and real food. On the contrary, our method is based on being able to eat whatever you want, as long as you plan for it.