Research
Professor Roy Taylor of Newcastle University has challenged the traditional view of type 2 diabetes as a chronic, progressive disease. His groundbreaking research suggests that the condition can be put into remission through significant dietary changes and weight loss.
Professor Taylor's 'Twin Cycle Hypothesis' proposes that type 2 diabetes results from energy overload. When the body's healthy fat storage capacity is overwhelmed, fat is stored inappropriately in organs like the liver and pancreas, leading to insulin resistance and eventually diabetes. Crucially, Professor Taylor's work indicates that this process can be reversed by removing excess fat.
The 2011 Newcastle Diet Study provided initial evidence for this theory. Participants following a very low-calorie diet for eight weeks showed normalized fasting blood glucose levels within a week, and most reversed their diabetes by the end of the study. Building on these findings, the larger Diabetes Remission Clinical Trial (DiRECT) demonstrated that 46% of participants achieved diabetes remission after one year on a weight management program, with results closely linked to the amount of weight lost.
Professor Taylor's research defines remission as achieving an HbA1c level below 6.5% without diabetes medications. The work also introduces the concept of a 'personal fat threshold,' explaining why some people develop diabetes at lower BMIs than others. This research offers hope for diabetes reversal through dietary intervention, especially when implemented early in the disease course.
A Primary care-led weight management for remission of type 2 diabetes (DiRECT): an open-label, cluster-randomised trial
Taylor R, Lean ME, Leslie WS, Barnes AC, Brosnahan N, Thom G, et al.
Reversal of type 2 diabetes: normalisation of beta cell function in association with decreased pancreas and liver triacylglycerol
Taylor R, Lim EL, Hollingsworth KG, Aribisala BS, Chen MJ, et al.
Very Low-Calorie Diet and 6 Months of Weight Stability in Type 2 Diabetes: Pathophysiological Changes in Responders and Nonresponders
Taylor R, Steven S, Hollingsworth KG, Aribisala B, Caslake M, et al.
Translating aetiological insight into sustainable management of type 2 diabetes
Taylor R, Barnes AC.
What predicts drug-free type 2 diabetes remission? Insights from an 8-year general practice service evaluation of a lower carbohydrate diet with weight loss
Unwin D, Delon C, Unwin J, Tobin S, Taylor R.
A Novel Intervention Including Individualized Nutritional Recommendations Reduces Hemoglobin A1c Level, Medication Use, and Weight in Type 2 Diabetes
McKenzie AL, Hallberg SJ, Creighton BC, et al.
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