[PHNUTR-L] Low-fat diet study claims to 'reverse' diabetes

[Kathrynne Holden, MS, RD]

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Low-fat diet study claims to 'reverse' diabetes
http://www.nutraingredients.com/news/ng.asp?n=65216&m=2nie119&c=xeiqgoegavfxtla

19/01/2006- Researchers from UCLA have claimed that a three-week 
high-fibre, low-fat diet can reverse type-2 diabetes and metabolic 
syndrome (MetS) – conclusions that go against medical understanding of 
the conditions.

The Pritikin diet, rich in high-fibre whole grains, vegetables and 
fruit, has been previously been related to decreases in blood pressure, 
oxidative stress and increased levels of nitric oxide.

The latest study, published on-line by the Journal of Applied Physiology 
(15th December, doi:10.1152), concluded that: “After three weeks, 
significant reductions in all serum lipids, CRP, sICAM-1, and 
sP-selectin were noted. Nine of 15 [MetS volunteers] were no longer 
positive for metabolic syndrome post-intervention.”

Comments made by lead researcher Christian Roberts have met with 
skepticism from experts in the diabetes field.

Roberts said: “The study shows, contrary to common belief, that type-2 
diabetes and metabolic syndrome can be reversed solely through lifestyle 
changes".

He went on: “The effect can be very dramatic given that, of the vast 
majority of people who go through the programme, at least 50 per cent 
are no longer clinically defined as diabetic after three weeks, which 
suggests this disease is reversible,” said Roberts.

Roberts also said that although the short-term diet reversed the 
clinical diagnosis of type-2 diabetes that it did not appear to reverse 
damage such as arterial plaque development. He suggested that long-term 
adherence to the diet may reverse atherosclerosis.

Roberts and his team followed 31 obese men, of which 15 had diagnosed 
MetS. The diet was prepared to contain about 10 per cent of the calories 
from fat, 15 to 20 per cent from protein, and 70 to 75 from carbohydrates.

The researchers took regular blood samples from the volunteers and 
measured a range of inflammatory markers, including inflammatory protein 
C-reactive protein (CRP), chemokine macrophage inflammatory protein-1 
alpha (MIP-1alpha), and the cell adhesion molecules (CAM) sP-selectin 
and soluble intracellular CAM-1.

Roberts’ suggestions that diabetes could be reversed at all, let alone 
in the space of three-weeks, go against medical understanding of the 
disease. British charity, Diabetes UK, told NutraIngredients.com that 
there was no cure for diabetes, and that Roberts’ claims are based 
purely on an improvement in blood glucose levels.

The charity did say however that diet and exercise could control blood 
glucose levels thereby removing the need for insulin injections or 
tablets for people who suffer from type-2 diabetes.

In a previous study using the Pritikin diet (Circulation, Vol. 106, 
pp.2530-2532) Roberts wrote: “Increased intake of fibre, antioxidants, 
and other phytochemicals, as well as the reduced fat and refined sugar 
consumption, most likely contributed to the reductions in oxidative 
stress and improvements in blood pressure.”

Diabetes currently affects over 200 million people worldwide and, 
according to WHO estimates, 2.5 to 15 per cent of annual national health 
budgets are spent on diabetes-related illnesses.
-- 
Kathrynne Holden, MS, RD < fivestar at nutritionucanlivewith.com >
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