Study details diet protocol that may revolutionize diabetes treatment

Researchers with Tel Aviv University have identified an eating protocol that may revolutionize the treatment of type-2 diabetes for many people. Rather than eating half a dozen small meals spread throughout the day — the current traditional diet given to diabetics — the new study found that eating three specific types of meals daily may balance blood sugar and help keep it under control.

Individuals suffering from type-2 diabetes are dependent on injections of the hormone insulin, which works to regulate blood sugar levels. This drug saves lives but can come with serious downsides, namely the triggering of a 'vicious cycle' that results in patients becoming dependent on increasingly higher doses. Weight gain and the development of cardiovascular disease are both common in these patients.

The new study out of Tel Aviv finds that eating an early breakfast full of starch followed by a small dinner later in the day may improve glycemic control and produce blood sugar balance in type-2 diabetics. The study's lead author Prof. Daniela Jakubowicz explained that by following this dietary protocol...

We believe ... it will be possible for diabetics to significantly reduce or even stop the injections of insulin, and most of anti-diabetic medications, to achieve excellent control of glucose levels.

The benefits may be the result of eating based on one's biological clock, the researchers say. Humans naturally fast in the evening and during the night while asleep; our bodies find eating in the morning to be optimal, providing the energy needed to get through the day.

The newly detailed '3M-diet' helps mimick that natural dietary tendency by having type-2 diabetics eat a breakfast composed of carb-rich foods like sweets, bread, and fruits in the early morning, followed by what is described as a 'substantial' lunch and then, finally, a small dinner that doesn't contain any sweets, fruits, or starches.

When compared to controls, study participants who had type-2 diabetes and who followed the 3M-diet were found to have 'substantially improved' blood sugar levels and to have lost weight during the study. Of course, properly managing blood sugar levels is vitally important for diabetics and patients should always talk to their doctors before attempting to make changes to their treatment protocol.