by Dr David Unwin

Reversing Type 2 diabetes

Since writing the foreword for The Diabetes Weight-loss Cookbook, the idea of drug-free reversal of diabetes has really caught the public’s imagination. It is an optimistic concept that has given hope to so many. This hope has in turn been the motivation for thousands of people to improve their diet. Not only that, but it is potentially a win-win situation for the National Health Service; every year my GP practice is now spending about £50,000 less on drugs for diabetes than the average for our area.

In clinical practice I prefer to refer to this as putting diabetes into “remission” rather than reversing it, because in reality the condition could easily return if the diet becomes heavy on sugar and starchy carbs again. When I give people the choice of starting lifelong medication for diabetes or embracing lifestyle change, 99 per cent are interested in avoiding drugs, just like Giancarlo. To understand how avoiding or reversing diabetes may be possible, let’s try to establish what the true cause of this disease could be.

Picture:- Dr David Unwin with Giancarlo Caldesi

Essentially people with Type 2 Diabetes have a problem dealing with a sugar, glucose. This is why it builds up in the blood stream, resulting in higher than normal blood sugars which over time damage small blood vessels in vital organs. From this it would seem obvious to cut sugar out of the diet –if possible completely! Particularly as we don’t actually need any dietary sugar at all. In many cases this simple first step can create a huge difference and may make the use of lifelong drugs for diabetes quite unnecessary. Many times I have seen the total elimination of sugar improve not just diabetes but also blood pressure and mood.