Latest Research on Diabetes Type 2 Cure

Healthful Vitality | 09/25/2021 | By NP Contributor | Latest Research on Diabetes Type 2 Cure

Researchers never used the term cure for diabetes just a decade back, and they still avoid using it. Nonetheless, understanding of type 2 diabetes (T2D) is improving, and now many believe that its cure is possible.

At present most T2D researchers would use the term “remission” instead of cure. T2D remission is a condition when a person diagnosed with diabetes is able to reverse it and maintain normal blood glucose levels for more than 6 months without medications.

T2D is about progressive insulin resistance in the body. It means that body cells stop responding to insulin, thus needing increasing insulin amounts to maintain normal glucose levels. In T2D, increasing beta cells in the pancreas or creating an artificial pancreas won’t be enough. Such an approach may help manage the condition, but it would not be the cure.

However, it appears that researchers now understand the cause of T2D, and they have come up with numerous strategies that really work, causing prolonged remission or even cure.

1. Weight loss through a highly restrictive diet

Researchers found that restrictive diets like low carb diets or 800 calorie diets are amazing for diabetes remission. Studies show that it causes diabetes remission in more than half of those living with T2D, along with obesity. So those who achieve high weight loss like 15 kg may expect almost 90% of chances of remission.

Researchers are unsure why such amazing results occur on weight loss. However, they think it has something to do with the increased accumulation of fats in the liver causing insulin resistance.

2. Surgical cure

Bariatric surgery is commonly used to fight obesity. However, researchers were left perplexed when they found that bariatric surgery also causes permanent remission of diabetes in many people. They understand that it has undoubtedly to do with some changes in the gut and is not just due to weight loss. Moreover, researchers found that bariatric surgery could even help those who were just moderately overweight. Studies also confirm that remission rates vary depending on the surgical method. So, researchers know that diabetes has to do with some changes in the proximal part of the small intestine.

3. Endoscopic ablation

Ever since the researchers understood that diabetes has lots to do with changes in the upper or proximal part of the intestine, they have been looking for medications, procedures to cure T2D, and it appears that they have found one. Researchers found that in those living with diabetes, wrong dietary choices cause the upper layer of the duodenum to become thick and thus leading to poor regulation of various hormones, including insulin. They found that if the upper layer of the duodenum is removed in a less invasive way, like with high-pressure water and endoscope, it may reduce its thickness. And after some time, new and healthy layer will grow.

This healthy layer functions as it should be, helping gain diabetes remission or cure. This method is much less invasive than bariatric surgery and is also safe for use in those who are not obese. In fact, one company called Fractyl nets has received a 100 million USD grant to develop an intestine-resurfacing device to cure T2D (Fiercebiotech, 2021).

(Also Read: Best Diet to Reverse Prediabetes)