A recent study, published in the Diabetes Care journal, found out that the loss of some of the fat stored in your pancreas can help restore the normal function of the pancreas, thus virtually reversing the cause of type 2 diabetes.
Diabetes mellitus type 2 is a serious condition, affecting up to 10% of the population in the USA. It is widely known that type 2 diabetes mellitus is caused by a combination of failure of the pancreas to properly secrete insulin, as well as resistance of the peripheral tissues to insulin.
For long, the pathophysiological process behind this condition has been widely speculated, yet this particular study might shed some light on the reason why the pancreas stops functioning as intended.
Losing 1 gram of fat from the pancreas can reverse type 2 diabetes
This particular study confirmed that the decrease of the pancreatic fat, referred to as pancreatic triacylglycerol, is associated with the recuperation of the pancreas and the restoration of the normal secretion of insulin.
Out of the 27 individuals that were assessed in this study, 18 had type 2 diabetes with a duration of the condition for less than 15 years, all within the range group of 25 to 65 years and a body mass index marking them as obese.
All of the 18 individuals were appropriately matched with 9 other individuals that had a confirmed normal tolerance to glucose, while at the same time being in need of surgery. Both of the groups, with and without diabetes, were studied just before their gastric bypass surgery and at 8 weeks after the procedure.
The results of the study concluded that there was no noteworthy difference between the two groups in regards with the postoperative weight loss, and the same can be said about the change seen in the total content of body fat.
In laymen’s terms, this means they all lost about the same amount of fat 8 weeks after the surgery – about 13 percent from their initial body weight. Yet, what was surprising to find out was where that fat came from and this is where the study becomes quite intriguing.
While looking at the MRI scans before and after the procedures, the UK researchers from the Newcastle University were able to deduce that the fat levels in the pancreas of the individuals who presented with a normal tolerance to glucose remained unchanged, since they were not elevated in the first place.
While the participants with type 2 diabetes lost about 1.2 percent of fat from their pancreas.
Furthermore, when the team looked at the levels of insulin in the blood of the 18 participants with diabetes, they found out that the levels have normalized, meaning that the pancreas has regained its original secretory function.
This is a particularly interesting discovery, because, as the head researcher Roy Taylor aptly puts, means that by losing 1 gram from the fat from the pancreas, the individuals were free of diabetes!
While this discovery is incredibly important for the scientific community, we are still far away from cheating our way out of diabetes, as the only way to properly regain control over your weight and reduce the possibility of developing type 2 diabetes lies solely in your competent hands and that is having a disciplined diet and exercise.
Taylor mentions that only by draining that excess fat from your pancreas, achievable by weight loss, can the function of the pancreas be restored to normal.
Related: 7 Science Based Strategies for Long Term Weight Loss
It is necessary to mention that the sample size of this study was rather small, so further research is absolutely needed in order to replicate the results and confirm if the individuals truly remain free of diabetes after the seemingly minuscule fat loss from their pancreas.
According to the Newcastle research team, it seems entirely plausible that losing that 1 gram of triacylglycerol stored in the pancreas of individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus, regardless of the initial body weight or the method how the weight loss was achieved, is crucial in reversing the type 2 diabetes.
An estimation done back in 2010 confirmed that there are 285 million people living with type 2 diabetes, which makes about 6% of the adult population in the world and is roughly about 90% of all of the diabetes cases.
As incredible as this discovery may sound, it is equally important to point out that the type 2 diabetes onset can be properly prevented by maintaining proper nutrition and exercise.
In fact, leading a disciplined lifestyle might reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by over half.
Should you have any questions regarding your general health and lifestyle, make sure you consult your physician. Remember, prevention is the basis of having good health, so make an appointment with your doctor today.
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