The 5:2 diet, which involves fasting for two days a week, is more beneficial than medication for people with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes, a new study suggests.
- The 5:2 diet is more beneficial than medication for newly diagnosed type 2 diabetics, a new study finds.
- Diabetics following the 5:2 diet lost 9.7 kg compared with 5.5 kg and 5.8 kg for the drug groups.
- Researchers say the 5:2 diet could be a good initial intervention for type 2 diabetes.
In the intermittent fasting family, the 16:8 is the best known… but there is also the 5:2 diet. The latter consists of eating normally 5 days a week and fasting the remaining two, consuming only 500 to 600 calories per day.
This diet would be particularly interesting for people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. According to a study published on June 21, 2024 in the JAMA Network Openit has more metabolic benefits than anti-diabetic drugs.
5:2 Diet: Greater Weight Loss for Diabetics
The study involved 405 Chinese adults who had recently been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Some participants were prescribed anti-diabetic medications such as metformin or empagliflozin. Another group was given a 5:2 diet. They fasted for two non-consecutive days of the week and ate a standard diet the other days, eating a normal breakfast and lunch and a meal replacement for dinner.
At the end of the study after 16 weeks, the 5:2 diet group had the greatest decrease in glycated hemoglobin (or HbA1c), from an average of 7.9% to 6% (-1.9%). In comparison, the reduction was -1.6% with metformin and -1.5% with empagliflozin. Weight loss was also greater with this form of intermittent fasting. These followers had lost an average of 9.7 kg by the end of the experiment compared to an average of 5.5 kg lost for the metformin group and 5.8 kg lost for the empagliflozin group.
“In addition, patients in the 5:2 MRI group had significant reductions in waist and hip circumference as well as systolic and diastolic blood pressure, but showed no notable differences in most metabolic markers, except triglycerides and HDL-C, compared with patients receiving antidiabetic medications.”the authors specify in their article.
Type 2 diabetes: intermittent fasting as a first intervention?
For the researchers, their work shows that it would be interesting to offer patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes to follow the 5:2 diet.
Since this diet allows for improved glycemic control, weight loss and even a reduction in cholesterol, the authors assure that it “may serve as an initial lifestyle intervention for patients with type 2 diabetes, providing an alternative to the use of metformin and empagliflozin.”
