Can Diabetes Really Be Cured? I started writing this post at least a month ago and because of “other things” it has been on the shelf percolating. We all know that when something sits for a while thoughts can change. I am now ready to charge after Dr. Jason Fung and his cadre of supporters now saying that diabetes can be “CURED” and I say: The Emperor Has No Clothes.
It is my opinion they use the term “cured” as nothing more than website clickbait. I am not the only person questioning this but up against “experts” and other doctors? I will be no match.
Most people tend to believe the words said by someone using the prefix Dr. (as in medical). They are expected to know what they are talking about and certainly (but not always) they mostly do. They have gone to school for many years and believe they have the right to be respected. In my world there is no “right” to respect-it needs to be earned.
In Dr. Richard Bernstein’s Book Dr. Bernstein’s Diabetes Solution he tells in his story that though he knew carbohydrates were the problem for both Type I and Type II diabetes absolutely no one paid any attention to him until…he went to medical school, got his degree, and earned that prefix Dr. As the years passed he became, and still is, the foremost and preeminent authority on diabetes. He used his knowledge well and for good. Dr. Richard Bernstein is considered by many including myself as the world’s leading expert on blood glucose control for diabetics and still takes the high ground. In all his years he has never used the terms cured or reversed when referring to diabetes.
As I know it, there is no cure for diabetes. It may certainly be controlled via KETO or a LCHF eating program which is what I do, but a cure?-No. There are thousands of doctors and research scientists world-wide looking for that magic bullet cure for diabetes and you can bet your bottom dollar if and when it happens, it will be shouted from every mountain top in the known universe and there will be Nobel Prizes being handed out.
A nephrologist is a medical doctor specializing in kidney care and the treatment of diseases of the kidneys. At least here in Portland, Oregon almost all nephrologists are associated with either OHSU or a renal dialysis center because their patients either need to be closely monitored or worse, are already on dialysis. I know of what I speak as my husband was a twice kidney transplant patient and over the years I ask many, many questions of his nephrologist. We actually became pretty good friends. A nephrologist sees the sickest of patients with amputated limbs who sadly can be in the throes with end-of-life problems mostly brought on with the advent of uncontrolled diabetes. (This was not the case with my husband-he did not have diabetes and it was never ascertained why his kidneys failed at age 42).
Rally Round The Flag Boys.
The big squawk arose when a well known Canadian nephrologist, Dr. Jason Fung began talking about a “cure” for diabetes. When I, and others, began questioning his use of the term “cure” many of the LCHF doctors began surrounding this nephrologist’s wagon. I met several of these doctors on the Low Carb Cruise last summer and I do not remember any of them talking about curing diabetes. This seems to be something new.
It’s been pretty well documented that Bariatric surgery helps with Type II diabetes and they are not even sure why but we do know this-it is mostly used with severely or morbidly obese patients and let’s face it, once you have this surgery your food intake is vastly reduced and at any given time you are not able to consume many carbohydrates anyway (or much of any other food for that matter) which seems to me to perhaps be a key.
- In this first video Dr. Fung used the term “cured” in his title stating diabetes is a curable disease not a chronic disease. Insulin Toxicity And How To Cure Type 2 Diabetes Published on Apr 22, 2013 72,246 Views To Date
- In the second video he tones down the word cured to “reverse” and then goes on to use the word cured many times. How To Reverse Type 2 Diabetes Naturally Published on Dec 10, 2013 543,179 Views To Date
- In the third video he talks of The Two Big Lies Of Type 2 Diabetes Published on Dec 7, 2014 and uses both of the terms reverse and cure. 127,445 Views To Date
The slide show below is taken from Dr. Fung’s videos.
If you don’t think people are desperate (they are) then read the hundreds of Comments following each video and as far as I read them, Dr. Fung does not answer many of the questions and only uses very generalized statements like: A LCHF whole foods diet. Eat real food. It can include animal protein but not in excess. It’s a high fat (natural real fat) diet not a high protein. Ketogenic or LCHF has been used by many to reverse diabetes. We add intermittent fasting. Dr. Fung talks of different cultures who fast and notes Ramadan, yet the Middle East has some of the highest numbers of cases of diabetes in the world. I have been in Dubai and I can attest there are many obese and diabetic Middle-Easterners and to tell you the truth I was flabbergasted. Does anyone have any idea what the percentage of the general population, let alone diabetics that will fast and my question is: Are you kidding me?
Dr. Fung puts his patients on fasts anywhere between 18 hrs. to 200 days depending on their level of insulin resistance. What is the percentage of people who can stick with this? Does fasting hurt you? No, I don’t think fasting hurts anyone short-term but the problem is fasting is not a very easy, sustainable way of life. How many of the people who have watched Dr. Fung’s three videos have gotten pumped up about fasting only to fail yet again at controlling their diabetes?
These are the covers of magazines for Pete’s sake. The ADA is famous for it’s promotion of “Learned Helplessness”. They continually say that diabetics deserve to eat the same way everyone else eats. Really? Keep eating the same high carby crap that got them to diabetes in the first place? Hey ADA, keep pushing that s**t and keep people feeding at the trough of BigPharma. Who is really being outsmarted here? Say Yes to the donut? In the future you may be saying yes to death. All 13 magazine covers have sugary desserts splashed across them.
Click on the pictures. Most of the headlines are simply criminal. Love the one that says stay on your feet…that would be…if you still have feet to stay on.
Bottom line: Long term fasting is not a way of life but eating LCHF is.
- Dr. Fung says the truth is:
- Diabetes is a curable dietary disease
- Diabetes is a disease of high insulin resistance and treatment is directed to lowering resistance
Now if Dr. Fung and others are able to get diabetics eating low carb by telling them they can be “cured” then so be it, but I believe truth is the best policy and using the word “cured” as clickbait…is not truth and the emperor…has no clothes.
I have just spent my MOST valuable hours on your website since discovery of David Mendosa-sadly lost to us-and & Dr. Bernstein, without both of whom, I would probably either be dead or wished I were. I also, am type 2, diagnosed 12 yrs ago and managing on Dr. Bernstein’s 6,12,12 carbs-without insulin or meds. Your website is invaluable. I was scammed by Julien and Sami’s-always looking for a bread that is as claims-wtth help from your comments, I think I’ve found sources, which so far have been, great.We are in Portland several times a year-daughter and grand children. Hope to visit your local shops. Thank You for your mission.
Steph
Hi Stephey,
Always nice to hear from someone and always nice to hear I am making a difference. It is quite gratifying. When you get to Portland enjoy your stay as there is lots to see/do and tons of GREAT restaurants. Low carb is always available and at least the restaurants I frequent will cater to a diabetic.
Thanks, Deborah
Please watch this. There are a bunch of studies showing that diabetes is all about fat in the blood stream that can come from fatty diet, obesity, fat infusion, crazy over feeding. Healthy people become diabetic in 5 hours of ingesting a half cup of olive oil. nutritionfacts.org/video/what-causes-insulin-resistance/
1) Type 2 Diabetes is reversable. Type 1 is not.
2) Ramadan is not complete fasting. They fast sun up to sun down, then eat. Some have some milk, dates, honey then go to bed- others some meat/veggies/fruit.
3) IM (intermittant fasting), can be super easy once your get into the rhythm of doing it. Example- you stop eating at 7pm and have first meal next day at 9 am. That’s a 14 hour fast. Many (including myself) did this for decades before realizing the benefits of IM. IM affects men and women quite differently, though. Women should learn the risks.
4) You’ve been to Dubai and notice many obese/ diabetic people there- why does this surprise you?? Fasting at Ramadan can never compensate for other unhealthy behaviors folks may do ALL YEAR LONG. This is just like seeing how many overweight people in Marathons, Zumba or Spin class there are. Why are they overweight despite their training? People can out-eat a great workout VERY EASILY. STRESS, lack of SLEEP, Processed foods, SMOKING are just a few other factors in diabetes.
5) Please keep reading,learning and improving your ability to interpret research, since you seem to have a strong desire to help others.
6) Our pride can be our biggest downfall.
7) Intellectual honesty on your own behalf is paramount if you’re going to try and rip someone else’s career apart.
Blessings to you.
Thanks for the home school job mister what-ever your name is. Absolutely enlightening.
You might want to have another look at the peer reviewed research for the last couple of decades. Looks like type 2 CAN be reversed, meaning “cured, but you’re not magically immune to it happening again, nor are you rendered less susceptible to it due to genetics or other factors”. With, obviously, a lot of caveats. It’s science, not sensationalist press releases after all.
For instance, 2011: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00125-011-2204-7
There are other articles out there, if you care to look. If the pancreas can be convinced to produce the right amount of insulin, which it did, and the insulin reaction is measured as “normal”, which it did, I’d argue that this is in fact a “cure”.
I picked the above because the research was repeated with more subjects over a longer time in 2016 (and unfortunately picked up and as usual misreported by the popular press):
http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/early/2016/02/24/dc15-1942.abstract?sid=3286ad4b-242a-4133-afa9-518fab027687
Because it was picked up in the press, the NHS did a review to clarify some of the misleading statements made in said press:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/behindtheheadlines/news/2016-03-22-could-a-very-low-calorie-diet-cure-type-2-diabetes/
So yes, some were cured, with lots of caveats. Much more research needed, as usual.
Currently researching the topic myself, Fung in particular. I was struck by you calling his claims “clickbait”, when you freely admit you haven’t actually read the source material. This strikes me as being intellectually lazy at best, dishonest at worst. I certainly hope you’re not one of those people who has made up their minds so don’t bother with conflicting information? Note that I’m not defending or promoting Fung, because I HAVEN’T read the book yet. Which makes it hard to form an honest opinion about it, wouldn’t you agree? You mentioned him, then implied he was a scam (the site is called “low-carb-scams” after all), without actually looking at the source material. That doesn’t strike me as something that helps your cause.
Given the other research on the subject which supports that there IS a cure for type 2 diabetes (again, with caveats and much more research required), you may want to re-examine your opinions on the subject. Unless you define “cure” as “completely eliminating any susceptibility to the condition in the future”, in which case you should perhaps define that you mean “cure + vaccine + possible genetic rewriting”, since “cure” usually isn’t that stringently defined.
I looked to your blog to find factual evidence. I found instead at least one instance of someone who is unwilling to even LOOK at information that might contradict their opinion. That casts a shadow on other information found here. I’m disappointed.
Julie,
My opinion as I say in the article is that there is no “cure” for diabetes. I have been reading and studying about diabetes for the last 6 years so forgive me that I have not read “his book”. I understand exactly what Dr. Fung is saying and I think he and others are using the word cure as clickbait. Your “for instance” to
achieve a 24-hour fast is to skip breakfast and dinner on one day and do it every other day. How about I do this every day. I stopped eating breakfast or
lunch long ago and I eat dinner at about 3:00pm. So according to you I am INTERMITTENT fasting every day, not every other day and pretty much eating less that 20g carbs in one meal. I would think by anyone’s definition of LCHF, I am very lowcarb and my diabetes is NOT cured. It is under control but not cured.
As to your reference of the obesity problem in the Middle East? I am saying there are millions of obese people in the whole of that region, including the UAE, which has nothing to do with the fasting at Ramadan. Of course you cannot intermittent fast every day for a month while pigging out not only in the evening but also before dawn and expect to either lose weight or control diabetes. Many Middle Easterners actually gain weight during Ramadan and can’t understand why. Well, if you eat enough food coupled with extremely sweet, high carby desserts you are not going to either lose weight or control diabetes (if you have it).
So though I have not read Dr. Fung’s book I live it every day, I still have insulin resistance, and my diabetes is not “cured”. And as you state “they are explanations of his (Dr. Fung’s) theories”.
I think perhaps my definition of a cure and your definition of a cure are two different things. In theory I should be able to eat far more carbohydrates without too much swing in my blood sugar readings and that is not the case. I respectfully disagree with you and thank you for your comment.
please study what ramadan fasting really is. muslins fast at day time but feast at night. in fact this is the time when the sale of meat goes up. they eat a lot at night. its not a real fasting. besides most do nothing at daytime when they dont eat. i have tried dr. jason fungs strategy and it works. if you have a problem with the word cure then so be it but reversing and stopping the progression of diabetes is something he has proven and none of the current treatments really work. i admire people who offfer solution and have put it in action than people like you who criticize but offer empty words.
Have you read Dr. Fung’s book, “The Obesity Code”? The entire book? Or are you responding only to his videos? If so, you are missing the very thorough and lengthy explanation of his theories, not to mention the hundreds of studies he cites (only human trials, as he does not use animal trials in any of his research). I really don’t understand what you are criticizing – his use of the word “cure”? Well, if insulin resistance is the root cause of type II diabetes and you no longer have insulin resistance, why can’t you call that a cure? Your article comes across as a bit hysterical, and honestly, you offer no research or any medical or scientific support for your criticism of Dr. Fung. And, as a side note, his recommended fasting protocols are very easy to follow. For instance, to achieve a 24-hour fast you need only skip breakfast and dinner on one day. Do this every other day and boom – you are intermittent fasting. But you would know this if you read the book, which clearly you have not. And please, understand this: Ramadan is only a one-month fast out of an entire year, which will not correct insulin levels long-term! His approach is INTERMITTENT fasting. A day-to-day balance of fasting/feasting. Do you really believe walking around Dubai gives you any insight into the obesity problem of Middle Easterners? Please! Furthermore, please support you statement that “once diabetes is established it cannot be cured.” Established? What exactly does THAT mean? Sheesh. Terrible article.
Dr Barry Marshall who discovered bacteria could grow in the acid of the stomach was ridiculed at first. He found a cure for ulcers. With correct anti biotics,,years later won a noble prize in medicine. Dr Fung, is brilliant and anyone that took the time to review his literature could clearly see he is talking about curing, reversing TYPE 2. Not type 1. TYPE 1 is not the same thing at all, but he does help patients lower their insulin doss needed ..
I don’t think you have learned enough about dr Fungs research…he is not saying type 1 diabetes is cured, he refers to type 2 , and ho the pancreas starts making beta cells a
What exactly is Dr Fung’s or his supporters’ definition of cure?
Does it mean “I am no longer insulin resistant, and can eat a normal diet containing carbs, just like a person without diabetes”? Are there any real examples of people who have followed his treatment/diet and are no longer insulin-resistant? i.e. their blood tests are equivalent in all metrics to the blood tests of those that are not considered diabetic or pre-diabetic?