Limited evidence planned fasting could help type II diabetics

Type II diabetes is associated with other serious illnesses and early death. Whilst drugs can help with symptoms, lifestyle changes are needed to manage it, and even that cannot completely control blood glucose levels.
Doctors writing in the BMJ Case Reports journal have reported that three patients in their care underwent planned intermittent fasting, the result of which was that they were able to remove the need for insulin treatment completely, and were also able to control blood glucose levels. The doctors said: “The use of a therapeutic fasting regimen for treatment of type II diabetes is virtually unheard of. This present case series showed that 24-hour fasting regimens can significantly reverse or eliminate the need for diabetic medication.”
Three men between 40 and 67 years old, all on daily insulin and other diabetes controlling drugs, all with high cholesterol and blood pressure, tested out planned intermittent fasting. First they were fully educated on diabetes development and impact, insulin resistance, managing diabetes through diet and therapeutic fasting. Then they embarked upon a 10 month regime of alternate day fasting for two of them and a three day a week fast for the third man. Fast day consumption was limited to tea, coffee, water or broth, and one very low calorie evening meal. Within a month, all three men were able to stop their daily insulin, one man was able to reduce his diabetes controlling drug intake from four to one, and the other two stopped all their drugs. Their average blood glucose levels were reduced and they lost around 10-18% weight. None had any difficulty sticking to the regime. Of course the conclusions are limited given the demographics of the patients in the scenario.