This is considered to be a million-dollar question and every diabetic patient wants to know the answer of this question. It’s really difficult to answer this question in terms of yes or no.
Although there’s no cure for diabetes, studies show it’s possible for some people to reverse it. Through diet changes and weight loss, you may be able to reach and hold normal blood sugar levels without medication.
Type of Diabetes is Irreversible
Let us understand which type of diabetes is irreversible and which is reversible in order to get the answer to this question :
There are some diabetes types that are irreversible.
Type-1 diabetes falls in the irreversible category as the body doesn’t produce insulin.
Pancreatic diabetes is also another type of diabetes which falls under the irreversible diabetes category because the pancreas is damaged because of consumption of alcohol or due to genetic abnormality.
Third type of diabetes which falls under this category is LADA (Latent Autoimmune diabetes of adulthood) this is similar to type-1 diabetes, but its progression is slow compared to type-1.
Genetic diabetes is also an irreversible kind of diabetes.
Diabetes types that are reversible: Type 2 diabetes is diabetes that makes insulin, but their cells don’t use it as well as they should. People with type 2 diabetes are said to have insulin resistance. Type 2 diabetes is reversible in some cases which include cases where patients have :
High weight/obesity
Insulin resistance
Age-related diabetes You must have seen ads on social media to get rid of diabetes in 4-5 days which are always. It’s not an easy task to reverse diabetes. It’s possible to reverse diabetes in a scientific way.
Ways to reduce diabetes in scientific way
Weight loss- reducing weight can help in reversing diabetes. Two ways by which we can reduce the weight are :
Bariatric surgery
Bariatric surgery is a type of surgery that is used to reduce the stomach and intestine size where it is proved that 50-70% of people have been diabetes-free for 5-10 years.
This doesn’t mean the diabetes is completely cured but it’s in the remission phase. But if these patients start gaining weight and commence their earlier eating habits then they will suffer from diabetes.
Bariatric surgery is major surgery and it has its cons and complications.
Dietary Modifications
Dietary Modifications where in patients are supposed to eat low carbohydrate diet or low-calorie diet , patients are given 600-800 calories diet which has low carbohydrate content . if the patient is able to reduce 20% of the body weight then there are chances to reverse diabetes.
Also, along with diet if patients follow a regular exercise routine then there are high chances. This type of diet is extreme. It means working with a professional and being very controlled with how many calories you eat.
But the chance that it could send you into remission may give you strong motivation to stick to it.
How does diabetes get reversed? When the weight gets reduced, the fat deposit over the liver and pancreas are removed. This helps in increasing insulin sensitivity in the body which helps in reducing diabetes.
According to studies diabetes can be reversed for 2-5 years. This doesn’t mean you’re completely cured. Diabetes is an ongoing disease.
Even if you’re in remission, which means you aren’t taking medication and your blood sugar levels stay in a healthy range, there’s always a chance that symptoms will return. But it’s possible for some people to go years without trouble controlling their glucose and the health concerns that come with diabetes.
The reason for relapse of diabetes is because sometimes the patient is not able to maintain the weight. If the patient is suffering from diabetes then do not lose hope , consult a doctor. Whether you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes, always talk to your doctor before starting any new treatment and management options.
Your doctor can help you develop the best plan to address your healthcare needs. Control your weight, there are chances the diabetes might get reversed for some years even in case it does not get reversed your medication requirement will be controlled.
