Cyclical fasting diet shown to repair insulin-producing cells in mice

[DCUK NewsBot]

A new study by the University of Southern California (USC) shows that a fasting-mimicking diet helps repair beta cells in the pancreas of mice models of type 1 and insulin-dependent type 2 diabetes. Last week, the same team of USC researchers headed by Valter Longo published findings demonstrating that fasting-mimicking diets can reduce risk factors of type 2 diabetes. Here, they have found that giving mice a fasting-mimicking, ketogenic diet (FMKD), which is a low-protein, low-sugar, and high-fat diet, switches on genes regulating processes associated with the growth of new beta cells. Mice were placed on the FMKD only four days a week and given their normal chow on the remaining three days. They were calorie-restricted, fed 50 per cent of their normal daily calorie intake on day 1 and 10 per cent of normal daily calorie intake on days 2 to 4. Researchers also controlled the timing of eating by doing the complete opposite of a typical Western meal pattern and have the mice eat their meals within the first few hours of the day (8am-10am). Control mice ate during the dark hours. This is based on research showing that not only light and dark cycles regulate our biological clock - it is also controlled by nutrients. And that the typical Western eating pattern can actually be one of the factors which predisposes us to obesity. After doing a few FMKD cycles of this 4:3 way of eating every ten days, the mice started to show reduced insulin resistance, a marked improvement in insulin production, and more stable levels of blood sugar. When researchers looked for changes at a cellular level, they saw that genes normally active in the developing pancreases of young mice had been reactivated in the adult mice, thereby regenerating their beta cells. Some of the principles of FMKD were tested on human pancreatic cells of type 1 diabetes donors and yield similar results. In humans too, the diet results in increased insulin production and the replication of beta cells. It is unclear whether all of those beneficial effects seen can be attributed to the ketogenic aspect of the FMKD, or the fact that it is in sync with circadian clocks - which we know play a role in regulating beta cell health.

Continue reading...

 

[Type1Bri]

All well and good but until the T cell response in a Type 1 is addressed then these shiny new beta cells will just be attacked by our immune systems, leading to being right back at square one. This is far from "the cure", a step in the right direction but not a cure

 

[ann34+]

Warning - this research was on mice and human donated pancreatic cells of Type ones, not on humans - Longo has , also online, published details of a diet for humans which looks to be using somewhat similar thinking -http://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-aging-diet-idUSKBN15Z1XP, and, see below, re this fasting-mimicking diet (FMD) “should never be combined with glucose-lowering drugs, such as metformin or insulin,” ......
" Wei and Dr. Valter Longo, who is also affiliated with the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, said in an interview published in the journal that while “the great majority” of participants had one or more risk factors for diseases such as diabetes, heart disease or cancer, “FDA trials will be necessary to demonstrate whether periodic FMD is effective in disease prevention and treatment.........
Dr. Joseph Antoun, CEO of L-Nutra, Inc., which produces FMD, told Reuters Health by email that FMD “is intended for use by individuals who want to optimize their health and wellbeing, by overweight or obese individuals who want to manage their weight in an easy and healthy way, and by people who have abnormal levels of biomarkers for aging and age-related conditions.”
Antoun acknowledged that if you have common conditions associated with overweight and obesity such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer, you should not use FMD without a doctor’s approval.The product also should not be used by children under 18 or pregnant or nursing women. And it’s not for you if you have certain metabolic diseases, liver or kidney disorders that may be affected by the very low glucose and protein content of the diet, or if you have nut or soy allergies. What’s more, it “should never be combined with glucose-lowering drugs, such as metformin or insulin,” according to Antoun.