Diabetes is a chronic disease that affects how the body processes blood sugar (glucose). With early diagnosis and proper management, it may be possible to put type 2 diabetes into remission, though the condition can come back. Type 1 diabetes currently has no cure. This article provides an overview of whether early diabetes can go away.
Can prediabetes or early type 2 diabetes go away?
Prediabetes and early type 2 diabetes may be reversible in some cases through lifestyle changes like diet, exercise, and weight loss. Some research shows remission is possible if caught early enough.
Prediabetes is characterized by higher than normal blood sugar levels that are not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. According to the CDC, 88 million American adults have prediabetes. If left untreated, 15-30% of people with prediabetes will develop type 2 diabetes within 5 years.
Lifestyle changes and modest weight loss of 5-7% can lower blood sugar levels to normal in people with prediabetes. This helps prevent or delay progression to diabetes. According to the CDC, structured lifestyle intervention programs focusing on healthier eating, physical activity, and behavior change can cut diabetes risk by 58% over 3 years. Losing weight through bariatric surgery also leads to diabetes remission in many obese patients.
Recent studies show that type 2 diabetes remission is possible within the first 5 years through major weight loss, healthy eating, and exercise. In one study, nearly 50% of people newly diagnosed with diabetes achieved remission and normal blood sugars after losing 10-15% of their body weight within 5 years of diagnosis. The earlier weight loss occurred, the more likely remission was possible.
Overall, evidence suggests catching prediabetes or early type 2 diabetes quickly and implementing major lifestyle changes can normalize blood sugars long-term in a subset of people, putting diabetes into remission.
What lifestyle changes lead to diabetes remission?
Lifestyle changes that can result in diabetes remission for some people include:
- Weight loss of 10-15% through diet and exercise
- Following a Mediterranean style diet high in plants, healthy fats, and lean protein
- Limiting sugar, refined grains, and processed foods
- Engaging in 150 minutes per week of moderate physical activity
- Reducing stress through techniques like meditation, yoga, or Tai Chi
- Getting at least 7 hours of sleep per night
- Stopping smoking and limiting alcohol intake
Completing an intensive diabetes prevention program with trained lifestyle coaches also boosts remission success. Combining multiple lifestyle changes provides the best chance of normalizing blood glucose long-term without medication.
What role does weight loss play?
Weight loss, especially within 5 years of diagnosis, is a key factor for diabetes remission.
In one study, people newly diagnosed with diabetes who lost 10-15% of their body weight had double the diabetes remission rate compared to those who did not lose weight (42% vs. 18% remission).
More extreme weight loss through bariatric surgery results in even higher remission rates. Up to 63-86% of gastric bypass surgery patients achieve complete remission of diabetes due to significant weight reduction.
Losing just 2 kg can improve insulin sensitivity enough to significantly lower blood glucose levels into the normal range. This demonstrates that even modest weight loss can make a big difference in reversing diabetes.
Other research confirms weight loss of just 5-10% body weight combined with only 150 minutes per week of exercise can lead to partial or complete diabetes remission in overweight adults with newly diagnosed diabetes.
Overall, weight loss improves insulin sensitivity and β-cell function, lowers triglycerides and blood pressure, and reduces diabetes medication needs – all of which promote diabetes remission.
What medications or procedures lead to remission?
Certain medications and medical procedures beyond lifestyle intervention can also result in diabetes remission:
- Bariatric surgery like gastric bypass or gastric sleeve procedures
- Very low calorie diets of 800 calories per day to rapidly lose weight
- Injectable weight loss medications like semaglutide
- Immune-modulating drugs like interleukin-1 blockers used in clinical trials
- Stem cell regeneration therapies still being researched
However, lifestyle changes should be tried first since they provide additional health benefits beyond diabetes remission. Medications and procedures work best when combined with improved diet, activity levels, and weight loss strategies.
Can type 1 diabetes go away?
Unlike type 2 diabetes, there is currently no cure for type 1 diabetes. However, new research provides hope.
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease where the body’s immune system attacks and destroys the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. This stops natural insulin production, requiring insulin therapy through injections or an insulin pump.
Lifestyle factors like diet and exercise do not cause or prevent type 1 diabetes – although they still impact blood sugar management. Because the root autoimmune cause is still unknown, there are limited treatments to make diabetes go away.
However, exciting new research suggests achieving a “functional cure” is possible through regenerative treatments that restore insulin production from stem cells. Immune-modulating drugs may also preserve some natural insulin production by preventing further autoimmune destruction of pancreatic cells when given early after diagnosis.
While true remission is not yet feasible, experimental treatments provide future hope of a world without type 1 diabetes.
What are the health benefits if diabetes goes into remission?
Successfully reversing diabetes to normal blood sugar levels has many benefits:
- Lower risk of diabetes complications like heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, vision loss, nerve damage
- Reduced need for diabetes medications and insulin
- Improved energy levels and reduced fatigue
- Better cardiovascular health – lower blood pressure and triglycerides
- Weight loss from lifestyle changes leads to boosted self-esteem
- Reduced healthcare costs from less medication and doctor visits
Remission also lowers the risk of future diabetes progression if blood sugars can stay normal long-term through continued healthy lifestyle behaviors.
Can diabetes come back after remission?
For people who successfully achieve diabetes remission, maintaining long-term normal blood sugars requires commitment to prevent relapse:
- Keep taking any prescribed diabetes medications, even if blood sugars normalize
- Continue diabetes screening every 1-2 years to catch any signs of rising blood sugar early
- Maintain weight loss and avoid weight regain, which is common after intensive programs
- Adhere to healthy eating, portion control, and daily exercise
- Get enough sleep and manage stress levels
- Avoid excessive alcohol intake and quit smoking
Even with major lifestyle changes, diabetes remission only lasts about 5 years on average before high blood sugar returns for most people in research studies. Less than 15% of individuals remain free of diabetes long-term without medication. This shows proper follow-up and adherence to healthy behaviors is critical for extending remission duration.
Factors that increase diabetes relapse risk
Several factors can increase the likelihood of diabetes returning after a period of remission:
- Younger age at first diagnosis – higher relapse rates in those diagnosed under age 45
- Longer duration of diabetes before remission – early treatment improves lasting remission
- Need for insulin therapy before remission – suggests more severe β-cell dysfunction
- Less robust β-cell function after remission
- Shorter duration of remission so far
- Returning to old unhealthy lifestyle habits
- Substantial weight regain
- Lack of continued medication adherence
Understanding individual risk factors can guide maintenance strategies to sustain remission success long-term.
Takeaways on early diabetes remission
Key takeaways on whether it’s possible to reverse early diabetes:
- Prediabetes and type 2 diabetes caught early can enter remission through major lifestyle intervention leading to weight loss.
- Remission is more likely with rapid weight loss soon after diagnosis before permanent β-cell dysfunction.
- Weight loss of just 5-10% body weight combined with 150 minutes/week of exercise may reverse diabetes in some newly diagnosed adults.
- Type 1 diabetes currently has no cure. But emerging research provides hope for future therapies to restore insulin production.
- Achieving long-term remission requires maintaining healthy behaviors to prevent blood sugar relapse.
While reversing diabetes is challenging, early detection and treatment coupled with dedication to lasting lifestyle changes provides the best chance of success for many adults. Work closely with your healthcare team and diabetes educator to develop an effective, personalized plan for achieving remission.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you reverse diabetes naturally?
Yes, it is possible to reverse diabetes through natural means like diet, exercise, and weight loss in some cases. Following a whole foods diet low in refined carbs and rich in plants, losing at least 10% body weight, and getting regular activity can normalize blood sugars without medication for some people early in diabetes onset. Lifestyle changes are most effective when made soon after diagnosis. Reversal gets harder over time as diabetes progresses.
Can you get rid of prediabetes?
Yes, prediabetes can often be reversed back to normal blood sugar levels through modest weight loss of around 5-7% body weight and regular physical activity of at least 150 minutes per week. Eating a diet low in sugar and refined carbs but high in fiber from vegetables, fruits, legumes also helps lower blood glucose. Losing weight should be a primary focus since even small amounts of weight loss have been shown to reverse prediabetes.
Can you undo diabetes?
It is possible to put both prediabetes and type 2 diabetes into remission through major lifestyle interventions in some cases, especially when caught early after onset and treated intensively through weight loss and healthy behaviors. However, there is no permanent “cure” – diabetes remission requires dedicated maintenance to prevent the return of high blood sugars long-term in most people. For type 1 diabetes, emerging treatments offer future hope but currently there is no way to permanently reverse the loss of insulin production from autoimmunity.
Can I reverse diabetes in 30 days?
It is very unlikely to permanently reverse type 2 diabetes within only 30 days. However, it is possible to lower blood sugar levels back to a normal range in the short term through following a very low calorie diet, fasting, and exercise. This rapid blood sugar improvement can begin reversing diabetes in just weeks when combined with weight loss. But maintaining remission long-term and preventing relapse requires making lasting nutrition and lifestyle changes over months to years. For most people with years of diabetes, a 30 day reversal is not realistic.
What are the 5 foods that help reverse diabetes?
Some foods that can help reverse diabetes through improving blood sugar control, aiding weight loss, and reducing inflammation and oxidative stress include:
- Leafy greens like spinach, kale, lettuce
- Avocados
- Fatty fish high in omega-3 fats like salmon, tuna, sardines
- Nuts and seeds
- Beans and legumes
As part of an overall healthy diabetes diet, increasing these foods while reducing processed carbs, sugar, and saturated fats can help normalize blood glucose levels.
What are 5 things you can do to reverse prediabetes?
5 steps you can take to reverse prediabetes include:
- Lose a modest amount 5-7% of body weight through diet and exercise
- Follow a Mediterranean-style diet full of plants and healthy fats
- Cut out sugary drinks and limit sweets and refined carbs
- Get at least 150 minutes per week of moderate activity like brisk walking
- Reduce stress and get enough sleep (7-9 hours per night)
Implementing small, sustainable changes like these can improve insulin sensitivity and lower blood sugar into the normal range, preventing progression to diabetes.
Can you reverse diabetes with intermittent fasting?
Intermittent fasting may help reverse diabetes by lowering blood sugar, reducing insulin resistance, aiding weight loss, and preserving beta cell function. However, research is limited on its long-term effectiveness for maintaining diabetes remission vs. sustained lifestyle changes. While promising, intermittent fasting alone is likely not enough to permanently reverse diabetes without also following an overall healthy diet and exercise regimen long-term. It can be a useful component of a comprehensive diabetes management plan.
Can you get rid of diabetes with diet alone?
It is extremely challenging to reverse type 2 diabetes through diet changes alone without also losing weight through calorie reduction and increasing physical activity. Following a low-carb, high fiber diet lower in refined carbs and sugar can help reduce blood glucose and improve metabolic health. But diet modifications alone rarely lead to remission if substantial weight loss does not also occur. Dietary changes for diabetes remission work best as part of a multifaceted lifestyle approach including both nutrition management and activity.
Can diabetes go away with weight loss?
Yes, moderate weight loss can lead to diabetes remission, especially when achieved soon after diagnosis. Losing just 10-15% of initial body weight through calorie restriction and exercise can normalize blood sugars in some people with newly diagnosed diabetes or prediabetes. Weight loss of 5-10% may also be enough to reverse diabetes in overweight adults early in the disease course. This level of weight reduction can restore insulin sensitivity and β-cell function enough to put diabetes into remission without medication, provided the weight stays off.
Conclusion
Early intervention through intensive lifestyle changes like weight loss gives the best chance of reversing diabetes to normal glucose levels and prolonging remission duration. While remission is difficult to sustain lifelong, it is possible to achieve normal blood sugars through dedicated nutrition and activity adjustments, especially when prediabetes or type 2 diabetes is caught early on. Work closely with your doctor to optimize metformin and other medications during the remission process. With commitment to lasting lifestyle improvements, diabetes remission can become an achievable goal.