The BEST Way to Manage Blood Sugar (Surprising!)
Studies have poured in, revealing the many health benefits of intermittent fasting.
Weight loss, improved memory, reduced inflammation… it turns out that the health benefits are WIDE when your window of eating is NARROW.
But could intermittent fasting (IF) be as beneficial as prescription drugs for type 2 diabetes?
You’ll never believe the answer.
Researchers compared intermittent fasting to two popular diabetes drugs in a head-to-head test to see which would have the biggest impact on A1C levels (a measurement of blood sugar levels over time).
You probably already know where this is going, but here are the details.
For this study, folks with type 2 diabetes either followed an intermittent fasting protocol with a meal replacement plan or took one of two prescription drugs: metformin or empagliflozin.
After 16 weeks (about 3 and a half months), the intermittent fasting group was the clear winner.
Not only did this group achieve the most significant reduction in their A1C levels (-1.9 percent), but more people in the fasting group achieved A1C levels of <7 percent.
This is the ultimate goal of diabetes treatment because maintaining this level slashes the risk of long-term complications.
However, the prescription drugs DID “win” in another category… more side effects.
While only seven percent of the intermittent fasting group experienced side effects (like constipation and hypoglycemia), 28 percent of the metformin group and 14 percent of the empagliflozin group experienced adverse effects.
This study utilized the 5:2 intermittent fasting plan. This means that participants ate their regular food for five days (which also included a meal replacement plan) and then fasted for two.
The fasting days limited daily caloric intake to 500 calories for women or 600 calories for men.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again.
Type 2 diabetes is a lifestyle disease. It’s CAUSED by lifestyle choices… which means it can also be FIXED by them.
I never recommend stopping prescription drugs without consulting your doctor first.
However, if you’re fighting the blood sugar battle I DO suggest you show your doctor this study and discuss if intermittent fasting could be a good option for managing your diabetes.
P.S. The WORST dinner time for your heart!
SOURCE:
Guo L, Xi Y, Jin W, et al. A 5:2 Intermittent Fasting Meal Replacement Diet and Glycemic Control for Adults With Diabetes: The EARLY Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7(6):e2416786.
