A study conducted by researchers from the University of Adelaide and South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMR) shows a fasting diet that involves eating early in the day could reduce risk markers of type 2 diabetes.
The study involved comparing two diets, a time-restricted, intermittent fasting diet, and a calorie-reduced diet. Researchers aimed to find out which was most beneficial to people prone to developing type 2 diabetes.
Senior author and University of Adelaide’s Professor Leonie Heilbronn of Adelaide Medical School explained what happened.
“People who fasted for three days during the week, only eating between 8 AM and 12 PM on those days, showed greater tolerance to glucose after 6 months than those on a daily, low-calorie diet.
“Participants who followed the intermittent fasting diet were more sensitive to insulin and also experienced a greater reduction in blood lipids than those on the low-calorie diet.”
About Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes happens when the cells in the body don’t effectively respond to insulin. As a result, the body is unable to produce the hormone responsible for controlling blood glucose levels.
Medical experts estimate that nearly 60% of type 2 diabetes cases can be delayed and prevented with diet and lifestyle changes.
“Following a time-restricted, intermittent fasting diet could help lower the chances of developing type 2 diabetes,” said Heilbronn.
About 1.3 million Australians are living with diabetes. About 37.3 million Americans are living with diabetes comprising about 10% of the population.
Symptoms include:
- Frequent urination
- Excessive thirst and hunger
- Weight loss for unknown reasons
- Blurry vision
- Numbness and tingling in the hands and feet
- Fatigue
- Dry skin
- Slow-healing sores
- Frequent infections
As opposed to type 1 diabetes, which tends to start in childhood, type 2 diabetes usually develops in adulthood.
Largest Study in the World
The University of Adelaide study is one of the largest medical studies in the world to date. More than 200 South Australian participants were recruited in the 18-month study which was published in the scientific journal, Nature Medicine.
Participants on both diets experienced similar amounts of weight loss. However, the intermittent dieters reduced diabetes markers.
“This is the largest study in the world to date and the first powered to assess how the body processes and uses glucose after eating a meal, which is a better indicator of diabetes risk than a fasting test,” said first study author Xiao Teong, a University of Adelaide Ph.D. student.
“The results of this study add to the growing body of evidence to indicate that meal timing and fasting advice extends the health benefits of a restricted calorie diet, independently from weight loss, and this may be influential in clinical practice.
Further research Is needed to establish whether the same benefits would be experienced with a longer eating window. This would show the diet to be sustainable long-term.
