For men with diabetes, going on a strict diet may not seem realistic, but new research indicates that infrequent fasting episodes may help with the disease.
How fasting helps diabetes
A team of researchers from Baylor College of Medicine looked at fasting from dawn until sunset during Ramadan, the Islamic spiritual practice, to see if it could benefit diabetes.
The researchers followed 14 healthy participants who fasted for 15 hours per day, including an absence of drinks. They took blood samples at the start of the study, after 4 weeks of fasting and 1 week after the participants finished fasting.
They found that the fasting for 30 days was very beneficial because it raised the levels of certain proteins and improved insulin resistance. In addition, it helped stave off the negative effects of eating foods high in sugar and fats. Specifically, the scientists found that there were higher levels of tropomyosin (TPM) 1,3 and 4. These proteins are primarily known for their role in regulating how skeletal muscle and the heart contract, as well as maintaining cellular health to help with repairing damage and insulin resistance.
A cost-effective intervention
While no one is suggesting that those with obesity-related conditions, such as diabetes, should jump into long-term fasting, there is hope that the findings could eventually be incorporated into health recommendations as a way to save lives.
“According to World Health Organization data, obesity affects over 650 million people worldwide, placing them at risk for any number of health conditions,” says the study’s lead author, Dr. Ayse Leyla Mindikoglu, an associated professor of medicine and surgery at Baylor College of Medicine. “Feeding and fasting can significantly impact how the body makes and uses proteins that are critical to decreasing insulin resistance and maintaining a healthy body weight.”
More research on the topic of fasting is in the works, including studies that will follow participants with metabolic syndrome and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
