Fasting two days a week may be effective for type 2 diabetes, according to new research.
The study, published in JAMA Network Open, involved 405 Chinese adults who had recently been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. The study participants had not used any medication for the disease or weight loss drugs in the past three months. They were then divided into three different groups that received the diabetes drugs metformin and empagliflozin or a 5:2 meal replacement diet for a total of 16 weeks.
In a nutshell, 5:2 means fasting two days a week and eating as usual the other five days.
The meal replacement participants ate one serving of a low-energy product instead of three meals on two consecutive days. For the remaining five days, they ate breakfast and lunch of their choice, but a portion of the meal replacement product for dinner.
At the end of the study, glycated hemoglobin, weight, and anthropometric and biochemical parameters were analyzed.
The fasting participants had the greatest reduction in glycated hemoglobin compared to the other two groups. All participants in the group except those over 60 years of age had lower levels. The researchers saw no difference between those taking metformin or empagliflozin.
About 76% of the 5:2 group had a glycated hemoglobin level of less than 6.5% eight weeks after treatment. For people without diabetes, the level should be around 5.7%. Body weight also decreased more in the 5:2 group than in the other two groups, as did blood pressure.
The researchers conclude that 5:2 fasting can effectively improve glycemic control and reduce body weight in patients with type 2 diabetes, and that it is more effective than the medications tested.
