Is It Possible to Reverse Type 2 Diabetes?

Type 2 diabetes is a disease that occurs when your body either does not make enough insulin (a hormone that is created in the pancreas to help you process and use sugar for energy) or doesn't use insulin well. The cells in people with type 2 diabetes do not respond to insulin as they should, which can lead to high blood sugar. Type 2 diabetes has long been believed to be irreversible, but newer research shows that the condition may be reversible.

Over time, high blood sugar can cause numerous other health issues, including heart disease, vision loss, and kidney disease. To keep blood sugar levels in check and prevent health complications, you can manage diabetes with diet and exercise and, if necessary, weight loss and medication. Through such lifestyle changes, some people might actually even be able to reverse their type 2 diabetes.

The words 'reversal,' 'remission,' and 'cure' are often used to refer to the treatment goals of many different conditions. However, they mean different things.

Type 2 diabetes is considered to be in reversal as you are lowering your blood sugar levels. The disease is considered to have been reversed when your blood sugar levels return to the levels they had been before your diabetes diagnosis. Reversal may last in the long term. At that point, your type 2 diabetes may be considered to be in remission.

Remission is marked after having pre-diabetes blood sugar levels for three months, without the use of blood sugar-lowering medication. This level would be determined through a hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C) test, which shows what your average blood sugar level has been over the past three months.

While reversal and remission are possible, a cure is not. Because blood sugar levels can go back to diabetes levels even after achieving reversal or remission, type 2 diabetes is essentially not curable. That is why type 2 diabetes is considered a chronic disease.

Type 2 diabetes can be reversed or put in remission in a few different ways. Lifestyle changes that include diet, exercise, and weight loss may be helpful.

Being overweight or having obesity is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Of course, not everyone who is overweight or who has obesity will develop type 2 diabetes. Likewise, not everyone with type 2 diabetes is overweight or has obesity.

For those with type 2 diabetes who are considered overweight or to have obesity, weight loss is a main factor in diabetes reversal and remission.

While weight loss can happen through lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise, people may also lose weight with weight loss surgery. There are several weight loss surgery options that make changes to your digestive system as a way to promote weight loss. Weight loss surgery isn’t for everyone, but for those whose healthcare providers recommend it, the procedure can help get blood sugar levels to appropriate levels.

In fact, metabolic surgery (also called bariatric surgery) can immediately improve glucose levels among patients with obesity. Metabolic surgery is effective in reversing diabetes because the surgery leads to significant weight loss.

Along with weight loss, if necessary, nutrition is the other main lifestyle change that can lead to normal blood sugar levels in the long term.

What you eat can directly impact your blood sugar levels. That’s especially true with carbohydrates. The sugar in your blood comes from carbohydrates, so the more carbs you eat, the higher your blood sugar might be.

There is no one-size-fits-all diet or meal plan for type 2 diabetes. With the help of your healthcare provider, you can determine what works best for you. Overall, it is recommended that people with type 2 diabetes eat a diet rich in non-starchy vegetables, whole grains, and unprocessed foods, with minimal added sugar or refined grains.

The diabetes plate method is an easy tool to help prepare blood sugar-friendly meals. Half of your plate should be filled with a non-starchy vegetable, the other two quarters are divided between lean protein and carbohydrates. When it comes to hydration, water is your best bet. But unsweetened teas and coffees are good choices, too.

There are specific diet types that have been shown to help control diabetes, including the Mediterranean diet (a diet rich in healthy fats) and intermittent fasting.

Physical activity is a key part of a comprehensive diabetes management plan. It’s recommended that someone with type 2 diabetes gets at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity per week. This can include walking, swimming, bicycling, and doing housework.

In addition to the 150 minutes of exercise, it is recommended that people with type 2 diabetes do two or three sessions of resistance training each week. Ideally, there should be no more than two off days in a row.