298 people with Type 2 diabetes were put on a liquid diet and were each able to lose an average of 30 pounds of weight and half of them no longer had to take diabetes medication. They spent up to five months on a low-calorie diet of soups and shakes to trigger massive weight loss. The trial results, published in the Lancet medical journal showed:
* 46% of patients who started the trial were in remission a year later
* 86% who lost 15kg (2st 5lb) or more put their type 2 diabetes into remission
* Only 4% went into remission with the best treatments currently used
Remission of type 2 diabetes is now a practical target for primary care.
Treating the disease costs the UK’s NHS about £10bn a year.
Dr Elizabeth Robertson, the director of research at Diabetes UK, said: “[The trial has] the potential to transform the lives of millions of people.