My introduction to the term, “Reversing Diabetes,” was in 2004 when I attended a three-day live-in conference sponsored by NEWSTART® of Weimar Institute. (Full story is in the “Introduction” to this website.)

Since 2013, I have taken part in several Facebook diabetes support groups, both low-carb and high-carb, herbivore and omnivore. I discovered that some groups don’t like the word “reversing” (because they think that implies “cure”) and would rather use the word “remission” (which means “either the reduction or disappearance of the signs and symptoms of a disease”). So I learned to say, “reversing diabetes symptoms” and no one seemed to object to that.

At the time of this writing, there is no permanent cure for diabetes, either type 1 or type 2, this side of Heaven. Some people, even medical professionals like Dr. Jason Fung, use the word “cure” for diabetes, with the meaning “to relieve (a person or animal) of the symptoms of a disease or condition.” However, a permanent cure would mean that a diabetic could go back to their pre-diagnosis way of eating without the consequences of elevated blood glucose, glycation of hemoglobin, and hyperinsulinemia. And that just never happens!

For that reason, I cringe when I see or hear people identify as “ex-diabetic.” With alcoholics, there is no such thing as an “ex-alcoholic.” They will always be “recovering alcoholics” no matter how long they have been sober. Same with diabetics. There is no such thing as an “ex-diabetic.” My preference is to identify as a “recovering diabetic.”

Can Diabetes Complications Be Reversed?

Dr. Ian Lake asks, “Can diabetes complications be reversed?” And he gives his answer: “There are fascinating reports that suggest diabetes complications are reversible.”1

Dr. Sarah Hallberg, who believes that diabetes complications can be reversed, has prepared a collection of seven videos and accompanying articles on the following topics:2

  1. How food affects blood sugar
  2. Carbohydrate intolerance and insulin resistance
  3. How type 2 diabetes became an epidemic
  4. Treating type 2 diabetes—and why “eat less, exercise more” doesn’t work
  5. The history and safety of ketogenic diets
  6. Research on ketogenic interventions for type 2 diabetes
  7. Ketogenic meals and food options

These articles, with videos, are available on the VirtaHealth blog and website. (See the URL https://blog.virtahealth.com/reversing-diabetes-101-truth-about-carbs-and-blood-sugar/.)

Dr. Jason Fung tells why exercise is not the answer to reverse type 2 diabetes.3 “In the end, here’s the main problem. Type 2 diabetes is not a disease that is caused by lack of exercise. The underlying problem is excessive dietary glucose and fructose causing hyperinsulinemia, not lack of exercise. Exercise can only improve insulin resistance of the muscles. It does not improve insulin resistance in the liver at all. Reversing type 2 diabetes depends upon treating the root cause of the disease, which is dietary in nature.” Note: All carbohydrates convert to glucose in the process of digestion, which begins with saliva in the mouth.

Finally, Dr. Joseph Mercola believes that “Diabetes Remission [Is] Possible with Diet, Exercise.” His findings showed that “after one year, 11.5 percent of the program participants no longer needed medication to keep their blood sugar levels below the diabetes threshold.”4 However, even though they no longer need medication, they will always need to continue their diabetes dietary protocol!

Can Diabetes Be Cured?

There is currently (2021) no cure5 for either type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Dr. John B. Buse writes, “Medically, cure may be defined as restoration to good health, while remission is defined as abatement or disappearance of the signs and symptoms of a disease. Implicit in the latter is the possibility of a recurrence of the disease…. For a chronic illness such as diabetes, it may be more accurate to use the term remission than cure.”

However, type 2 diabetes can be “reversed” or put into remission.5 According to what Dr. Buse says in Diabetes Care, remission can take different forms:

  • Partial remission: When a person has maintained a blood glucose level lower than that of a person with diabetes* for at least 1 year without needing to use any diabetes medication.
  • Complete remission: When the blood glucose level returns to normal levels completely outside of the range of diabetes or pre-diabetes** and stays there for at least 1 year with no medications.
  • Prolonged remission: When complete remission lasts for at least 5 years.

Even if a person maintains normal blood sugar levels for 20 years, a doctor will still consider their diabetes to be in remission rather than cured.
*Partial remission would be 4.0-6.3% A1C (just under the diabetes diagnosis)
**Complete remission would be 4.0-5.6% A1C (just under the pre-diabetes diagnosis)

Some prefer to say that the symptoms of diabetes can be reversed, and that complications of diabetes can be reversed or even prevented.6, 7 Some common diabetes complications are heart attack, stroke, blindness, kidney disease, loss of a toe (or foot), and erectile dysfunction.

There is evidence that both type 18, 9 and type 2 diabetics can benefit from a low-carb or ketogenic dietary protocol.10

So even though it’s very possible, as evidenced by thousands of diabetics, to reverse the symptoms and complications of diabetes, without diabetes medications or insulin, to a normal A1C, daily blood glucose, and fasting insulin levels by eating a specific diabetes dietary protocol, the symptoms of diabetes will return if the patient does not continue the way of eating that “cured” them. They must continue that diabetes dietary protocol for life! Or until Jesus comes, and that will be the only real cure for diabetes!

Endnotes

1Lake, Dr. Ian. “Can diabetes complications be reversed?,” Diabetes.co.uk (March 2016). https://www.diabetes.co.uk/in-depth/can-diabetes-complications-reversed/ (accessed on 7/31/2020).

2Hallberg, Sarah, DO, MS. “Reversing Diabetes 101 with Dr. Sarah Hallberg: The Truth About Carbs, Blood Sugar, and Reversing Type 2 Diabetes,” Virta Health (November 28, 2017). https://blog.virtahealth.com/reversing-diabetes-101-truth-about-carbs-and-blood-sugar/ (accessed on 7/31/2020).

3Fung, Dr. Jason. “Why carbs and exercise are not the answers to reverse type 2 diabetes,” Diet Doctor, n.d. https://www.dietdoctor.com/carbs-exercise-not-answers-reverse-type-2-diabetes (accessed on 8/1/2020).

4Mercola, Dr. Joseph, DO. “Diabetes Remission Possible with Diet, Exercise,” Mercola (January 7, 2013). https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/01/07/diabetes-remission.aspx (accessed on 7/31/2020).

5Buse, John B., MD, PhD, et. al. “How Do We Define Cure of Diabetes?” Diabetes Care (November 2009). doi: 10.2337/dc09-9036. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2768219/ (accessed on 7/13/2020).

6Johnson, Jon. “A review of therapies and lifestyle changes for diabetes,” Medical News Today (March 27, 2019). https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/317074 (accessed on 7/12/2020).

7Lake, Dr. Ian. “Can diabetes complications be reversed?” Diabetes.co.uk (March 8, 2016). https://www.diabetes.co.uk/in-depth/can-diabetes-complications-reversed/ (accessed on 7/12/2020).

8Thiruvelan. “Diabetes Complications,” Healthy-ojas (June 23, 2010). https://healthy-ojas.com/diabetes/diabetes-complications.html (accessed on 7/12/2020).

9Dikeman, Dr. R. David. “How to Avoid Complications of Type 1 Diabetes” [37:28], Diet Doctor (August 2016). Recorded at the Low Carb USA conference in July 2016. https://www.dietdoctor.com/member/presentations/dikeman (accessed on 7/13/2020).

10Lennerz, Belinda S., et. al. “Management of Type 1 Diabetes With a Very Low-Carbohydrate Diet,” Pediatrics June 2018, 141 (6) e20173349; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2017-3349. https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2018/05/03/peds.2017-3349 (accessed on 7/13/2020).

Additional Information and References

At the time of this writing, there is no permanent cure for diabetes, either type 1 or type 2. Some people, even medical professionals like Dr. Jason Fung, use the term “cure” for diabetes, with the meaning “to relieve (a person or animal) of the symptoms of a disease or condition.” However, a permanent cure would mean that a diabetic could go back to their pre-diagnosis way of eating without the consequences of elevated blood glucose, glycation of hemoglobin, and hyperinsulinemia. And that just doesn’t ever happen! So even though it’s very possible, as evidenced by thousands of diabetics, to reverse the symptoms of diabetes, without diabetes medications or insulin, to a normal A1C, daily blood glucose, and fasting insulin levels by eating a specific diabetes dietary protocol, the symptoms of diabetes will most certainly return if the patient does not continue the way of eating that “cured” them. They must stick with that “diet” for life! Or until Jesus comes, and that is the only real cure for diabetes!

Additional References

OBESITY AND NUTRITION: EDITED BY ERIC C. WESTMAN
Effect of low carbohydrate diets on insulin resistance and the metabolic syndrome
Foley, Peter J.
Current Opinion in Endocrinology & Diabetes and Obesity: October 2021 – Volume 28 – Issue 5 – p 463-468
doi: 10.1097/MED.0000000000000659
https://journals.lww.com/co-endocrinology/Abstract/2021/10000/Effect_of_low_carbohydrate_diets_on_insulin.7.aspx
LCDs [low carbohydrate diets] have been shown to result in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) remission, improve lipid profiles and dramatically reduce intrahepatic fat.

Diabetes Remission Possible with Diet, Exercise
https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/01/07/diabetes-remission.aspx

Can diabetes complications be reversed?
By Dr. Ian Lake
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/in-depth/can-diabetes-complications-reversed/

Why carbs and exercise are not the answers to reverse type 2 diabetes
https://www.dietdoctor.com/carbs-exercise-not-answers-reverse-type-2-diabetes

Reversing Diabetes 101 with Dr. Sarah Hallberg:
The Truth About Carbs, Blood Sugar, and Reversing Type 2 Diabetes
A collection of 7 videos and accompanying articles on the following topics:

    1. How food affects blood sugar
    2. Carbohydrate intolerance and insulin resistance
    3. How type 2 diabetes became an epidemic
    4. Treating type 2 diabetes—and why ‘eat less, exercise more’ doesn’t work
    5. The history and safety of ketogenic diets
    6. Research on ketogenic interventions for type 2 diabetes
    7. Ketogenic meals and food options

https://blog.virtahealth.com/reversing-diabetes-101-truth-about-carbs-and-blood-sugar/

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