Weight loss effectively cures Type 2 diabetes, according to new research by scientists at Newcastle University.
The findings, published online in the journal Diabetes Care and presented at the World Diabetes Congress in Vancouver this week, show the disease is caused by fat accumulating in the pancreas and that simply losing less than one gram from the organ can reverse the illness and restore insulin production, The Daily Telegraph reports.
“For people with Type 2 diabetes, losing weight allows them to drain excess fat out of the pancreas and allows function to return to normal,” said Roy Taylor, a Newcastle University researcher.
For the study, researchers tracked 18 obese people with Type 2 diabetes who underwent gastric band surgery and went on a restricted diet for eight weeks. Over the course of the study, the participants lost an average of 13 percent of their body weight and 0.6 grams of fat from their pancreas, allowing the organ to secrete normal levels of insulin.
At the end of the study, the investigators determined they were cured of their condition.
The team is now planning a larger two-year study involving 200 people with Glasgow University to confirm the findings.
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