just the facts

Can You Reverse Diabetes?

Yes, it may be possible to put your type 2 diabetes into remission. This is when your blood sugar levels are below the diabetes range and you don’t need to take diabetes medication anymore.

Type 2 diabetes is mainly put into remission by weight loss. Remission is more likely if you lose weight as soon as possible after your diabetes diagnosis.

Your diabetes is more likely to go into remission if you lose a substantial amount of weight – 15kg (or 5lbs) – as quickly and safely as possible following diagnosis. Losing 15kg comes with a lot of health benefits, even if you don’t lead to remission. Research shows that getting support to lose just 5% of your body weight can have huge benefits for your health.

It's all about losing weight

Scientists believe that storing too much fat in the liver and pancreas affects how type 2 diabetes develops and losing this fat can help put your diabetes into remission. Some people have lost a substantial amount of weight and put their diabetes into remission through lifestyle and diet changes or by having weight loss surgery (called bariatric surgery).

 

There is no such thing as a special diet for people with diabetes or those aiming or diabetes reversal. There are a lot of different ways to lose weight – but there’s no one-size-fits-all diet.

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