Type 2 diabetes can be reversed by 900 calorie NHS diet

The super strict soup and shake diet could help people beat the condition.

Type 2 diabetes is a common condition where the level of sugar (glucose) in the blood becomes too high.

It happens if the body cannot make enough of, or cannot correctly use, a hormone called insulin, which controls blood sugar.

Some cases are linked to being overweight. That's because fat can build up in and around the pancreas - the organ that makes insulin.

According to the latest figures from Diabetes UK, 4.4 million people in the UK live with diabetes.

Additionally, 1.2 million people could be living with type 2 diabetes who are yet to be diagnosed. 

The soup and shake diet requires a one-year commitment, and dieters must endure 12 weeks of consuming only shakes, soups and meal-replacement bars, before healthy solid foods can be gradually reintroduced.

The good news is the groundbreaking diet is fully funded by the NHS, so there is no cost for the individual.

They get bespoke diet and exercise advice sessions in person or online, as well as support from their GP.

People are eligible if they are aged between 18 and 65, have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes within the last six years and have a body mass index (BMI) over 27 kg/m2 (if from white ethnic groups) or over 25 kg/m2 (if from black, Asian and other ethnic groups).

NEW: Early findings from the NHS Type 2 Diabetes Path to Remission Programme.

This evaluation of real-world implementation explores whether remission of type 2 diabetes is possible outside of research settings

Read the full paper here https://t.co/0ind69h52G#diabetes pic.twitter.com/dfOQIXvQsM

— The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology (@TheLancetEndo) August 6, 2024

According to a new report published by The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology journal, a third of volunteers who took on the diet shed lots of weight - nearly two-and-a-half stone (16kg) - and put their diabetes into remission.

The new study examined data on 7,540 people who took part in the programme between September 2020 and the end of 2022.

Of these, some 945 completed a full year of the programme and had provided blood samples.

Among this sample, 32 percent had put their condition into remission. In the study, this is defined by average blood sugar levels over a period of time, with an average weight loss of 15.9kg.

And some of those taking part even managed to lose up to 17.4kg.

The programme is now being offered to people around England.

Unmanaged, diabetes can increase the risk of getting other serious health problems and damage the eyes and nerves.

Dr Clare Hambling, NHS national clinical director for diabetes and obesity, said: "Obesity is one of the biggest threats to health in the UK and will be one of the biggest and most costly challenges for health systems globally, so seeing such encouraging outcomes from our programme shows that obesity can be tackled head-on."