First and Last Name/s of Presenters

John FenkartFollow

Mentor/s

Professor Jareb Professor Moras

Participation Type

Paper Talk

Abstract

More than thirty-seven million Americans have diabetes, approximately 95% of those thirty-seven million have type 2 diabetes. That correlates to roughly 1 in 10 Americans that suffer from type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition that has detrimental effects on the way one’s body metabolizes glucose; specifically, type 2 diabetes is caused by the body’s resistance to insulin. Currently, there is a limited variety of type 2 diabetes interventions, which almost always involve injections of insulin. These injections are expensive, and painful, and treat the disease itself rather than the person by addressing the symptoms of type 2 diabetes. Regularly lowering insulin levels lead to improved insulin sensitivity, meaning your body is much more responsive to insulin. The purpose of this research is to discover and further understand the unique techniques of fasting and how they may apply to the treatment and prevalence of type 2 diabetes. Dietary changes such as fasting show promising results as being the key to improving insulin sensitivity and optimizing insulin utilization in those with type 2 diabetes by combating obesity and promoting a healthy lifestyle. What I am suggesting is we look at the problem as the solution. We prioritize the importance of diet and meal frequency to hopefully improve insulin sensitivity and make injectable medication a thing of the past. After all, there is a clear association between type 2 diabetes and obesity, and weight loss often reverses this type of diabetes. Decreasing the excess glucose in cells naturally would result in less insulin being needed to perform these functions. A decrease in excess glucose in cells will allow more room for new glucose to enter cells via insulin. Since there is more room for glucose, there is no need for excessive insulin, a normal amount is plenty to get the job done. Fasting offers a viable solution to decreasing stored glucose which ultimately decreases excess insulin and improves insulin sensitivity. Fasting works by following a distinct progression of phases that can be altered to yield desired outcomes. These phases include a feeding phase, postabsorptive phase, gluconeogenesis, and protein conservation. While 12-hour fasts offer a great preventative strategy, it is simply not powerful enough to reverse weight gain and ultimately lower insulin levels. The daily 16-hour fast offers a more powerful response than the daily 12-hour fast and should be accompanied by a low-carbohydrate diet for the best outcomes. A daily alternate-day fast also shows promising outcomes. A case study out of the Intensive Dietary Management Clinic Toronto, Canada showed promising results of fasting. All participants in the study were able to discontinue their insulin injections. Intermittent fasting interventions induce a metabolic shift that has the potential to positively alter body composition. Compared to low-calorie diets, intermittent fasting regimens promote greater reduction of fat mass and possibly smaller post-intervention weight regain. Fasting offers a viable solution to decreasing stored glucose which ultimately decreases excess insulin and improves insulin sensitivity.

College and Major available

Exercise Science BS

Location

Session B: West Campus West Building W223J

Start Day/Time

4-29-2022 10:45 AM

End Day/Time

4-29-2022 11:45 AM

Students' Information

John Fenkart, Exercise Science Major, Honors Student, Class of 2022

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Apr 29th, 10:45 AM Apr 29th, 11:45 AM

Dietary Fasting as a Treatment for Type 2 Diabetes

Session B: West Campus West Building W223J

More than thirty-seven million Americans have diabetes, approximately 95% of those thirty-seven million have type 2 diabetes. That correlates to roughly 1 in 10 Americans that suffer from type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition that has detrimental effects on the way one’s body metabolizes glucose; specifically, type 2 diabetes is caused by the body’s resistance to insulin. Currently, there is a limited variety of type 2 diabetes interventions, which almost always involve injections of insulin. These injections are expensive, and painful, and treat the disease itself rather than the person by addressing the symptoms of type 2 diabetes. Regularly lowering insulin levels lead to improved insulin sensitivity, meaning your body is much more responsive to insulin. The purpose of this research is to discover and further understand the unique techniques of fasting and how they may apply to the treatment and prevalence of type 2 diabetes. Dietary changes such as fasting show promising results as being the key to improving insulin sensitivity and optimizing insulin utilization in those with type 2 diabetes by combating obesity and promoting a healthy lifestyle. What I am suggesting is we look at the problem as the solution. We prioritize the importance of diet and meal frequency to hopefully improve insulin sensitivity and make injectable medication a thing of the past. After all, there is a clear association between type 2 diabetes and obesity, and weight loss often reverses this type of diabetes. Decreasing the excess glucose in cells naturally would result in less insulin being needed to perform these functions. A decrease in excess glucose in cells will allow more room for new glucose to enter cells via insulin. Since there is more room for glucose, there is no need for excessive insulin, a normal amount is plenty to get the job done. Fasting offers a viable solution to decreasing stored glucose which ultimately decreases excess insulin and improves insulin sensitivity. Fasting works by following a distinct progression of phases that can be altered to yield desired outcomes. These phases include a feeding phase, postabsorptive phase, gluconeogenesis, and protein conservation. While 12-hour fasts offer a great preventative strategy, it is simply not powerful enough to reverse weight gain and ultimately lower insulin levels. The daily 16-hour fast offers a more powerful response than the daily 12-hour fast and should be accompanied by a low-carbohydrate diet for the best outcomes. A daily alternate-day fast also shows promising outcomes. A case study out of the Intensive Dietary Management Clinic Toronto, Canada showed promising results of fasting. All participants in the study were able to discontinue their insulin injections. Intermittent fasting interventions induce a metabolic shift that has the potential to positively alter body composition. Compared to low-calorie diets, intermittent fasting regimens promote greater reduction of fat mass and possibly smaller post-intervention weight regain. Fasting offers a viable solution to decreasing stored glucose which ultimately decreases excess insulin and improves insulin sensitivity.

 

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