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
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.
Students' Information
John Fenkart, Exercise Science Major, Honors Student, Class of 2022