People with type 1 diabetes are told there’s little that can be done other than regularly insulin injections—but new research suggests that fasting could help.
Eating in a strict time window—such as between noon and 8pm—seems to improve blood sugar levels and it also reduces sudden high and low spikes, say researchers from the University of Illinois Chicago.
They recruited 32 people with type 1 diabetes who were also obese, who were put into one of three dietary groups: one followed a time-restricted eating schedule, consuming food only between noon and 8pm without counting calories, another group reduced calorie intake by 25 percent, and the control group made no changes to their existing diets.
After following the diets for six months, only those who had followed the time-window approach showed improvements in blood sugar levels and had fewer spikes. The diet didn’t increase the risk of diabetic ketoacidosis, which occurs when the body does not have enough insulin and can become life-threatening.
The researchers emphasise that the findings don’t mean that diabetics could stop injections—but they are a positive first step towards a new way of managing the condition.
Type 1 diabetes is a chronic problem where the body cannot produce enough insulin to break down carbohydrates.
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