Low-fat diet study claims to 'reverse' diabetes

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Low-fat diet study claims to 'reverse' diabetes

http://www.nutraingredients.com/news/ng.asp?n=65216 & m=2nie119 & c=xeiqgoegavfxtla

19/01/2006- Researchers from UCLA have claimed that a three-week

high-fibre, low-fat diet can reverse type-2 diabetes and metabolic

syndrome (MetS) – conclusions that go against medical understanding of

the conditions.

The Pritikin diet, rich in high-fibre whole grains, vegetables and

fruit, has been previously been related to decreases in blood pressure,

oxidative stress and increased levels of nitric oxide.

The latest study, published on-line by the Journal of Applied Physiology

(15th December, doi:10.1152), concluded that: “After three weeks,

significant reductions in all serum lipids, CRP, sICAM-1, and

sP-selectin were noted. Nine of 15 [MetS volunteers] were no longer

positive for metabolic syndrome post-intervention.”

Comments made by lead researcher Christian have met with

skepticism from experts in the diabetes field.

said: “The study shows, contrary to common belief, that type-2

diabetes and metabolic syndrome can be reversed solely through lifestyle

changes " .

He went on: “The effect can be very dramatic given that, of the vast

majority of people who go through the programme, at least 50 per cent

are no longer clinically defined as diabetic after three weeks, which

suggests this disease is reversible,” said .

also said that although the short-term diet reversed the

clinical diagnosis of type-2 diabetes that it did not appear to reverse

damage such as arterial plaque development. He suggested that long-term

adherence to the diet may reverse atherosclerosis.

and his team followed 31 obese men, of which 15 had diagnosed

MetS. The diet was prepared to contain about 10 per cent of the calories

from fat, 15 to 20 per cent from protein, and 70 to 75 from carbohydrates.

The researchers took regular blood samples from the volunteers and

measured a range of inflammatory markers, including inflammatory protein

C-reactive protein (CRP), chemokine macrophage inflammatory protein-1

alpha (MIP-1alpha), and the cell adhesion molecules (CAM) sP-selectin

and soluble intracellular CAM-1.

’ suggestions that diabetes could be reversed at all, let alone

in the space of three-weeks, go against medical understanding of the

disease. British charity, Diabetes UK, told NutraIngredients.com that

there was no cure for diabetes, and that ’ claims are based

purely on an improvement in blood glucose levels.

The charity did say however that diet and exercise could control blood

glucose levels thereby removing the need for insulin injections or

tablets for people who suffer from type-2 diabetes.

In a previous study using the Pritikin diet (Circulation, Vol. 106,

pp.2530-2532) wrote: “Increased intake of fibre, antioxidants,

and other phytochemicals, as well as the reduced fat and refined sugar

consumption, most likely contributed to the reductions in oxidative

stress and improvements in blood pressure.”

Diabetes currently affects over 200 million people worldwide and,

according to WHO estimates, 2.5 to 15 per cent of annual national health

budgets are spent on diabetes-related illnesses.

--

ne Holden, MS, RD < fivestar@... >

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