WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Scientists found that following an intermittent fasting diet could help newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes patients to improve their blood sugar levels, lose weight and lower blood pressure.
The new research, published in JAMA Network Open, involved 405 adults with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes from the Exploration of Treatment of Newly Diagnosed Overweight/Obese Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus or EARLY study in China.
The participants were divided into three groups, of which one group followed the 5:2 meal replacement diet, which involves eating normally for five days a week and then fasting for the next two days.
On the fasting days, participants consumed an egg for breakfast, fruit or vegetables for lunch, and a salad for dinner. Each meal was combined with an intake of a low-calorie meal-replacement drink, containing proteins, vitamins, minerals, healthy fats and other nutrients. Whereas, the participants ate normally for breakfast and lunch, and a meal-replacement drink with dinner during non-fasting days.
Meanwhile, the other two groups were either asked to consume 0.5 to 2 grams of metformin twice a day or 10 mg of empagliflozin once a day. Both are type 2 diabetes medications.
During the start of trial, the research team recorded participants' hemoglobin A1c or HbA1c level, a test to measure blood sugar level, as well as blood pressure and other metabolic markers over a period of two to three months.
Of the total participants, 332 completed the 16-week treatment plus a follow-up of 8 weeks, at the end of which the fasting group noticed a decline of 1.9 percent in their HbA1c level compared to other two groups. Most of the people in fasting group had their blood sugar level below the cut-off for diabetes.
Additionally, the participants of fasting group saw notable reductions in their waist and hip circumference, blood pressure levels, cholesterol levels, and triglycerides, a type of fat found in the blood.
However, the authors noted a few serious events of hypoglycemia or low blood sugar in participants of all three groups. 26 individuals of metformin group suffered from gastrointestinal problems, while two empagliflozin study participants were hospitalized due to elevated ketones, which makes the blood too acidic and causes serious health issues.
Researchers emphasized the need of more elaborate studies to understand the long-term benefits of the 5:2 diet with meal replacements on diabetic patients.
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