Biomedical Research 2019; 30 (3): 513-515 ISSN 0970-938X

www.biomedres.info

Reversal of type 1 diabetes using plant-based diet: A case study.

Biswaroop Roy Chowdhury*
Medical Nutritionist, Indo-Vietnam Medical Board, India
Accepted on May 14, 2019

Abstract
Type-1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease characterized by hyperglycemia, inability to produce insulin
due to self-destruction of beta cells in the pancreas. The epidemic of type-1 diabetes causes irreversible
suffering like retinopathy, nephropathy, neuropathy, foot complications, high blood pressure, etc, and
put patients on a life sentence with insulin. The common perception in medical science is that sugar
levels cannot be normalized without the help of medication. However, in the present study we examined
a type 1 patient by putting her on a diet plan with regular follow ups and studied all diabetes-related
biochemical parameters. We were successfully able to eliminate her medication and insulin dependency.

Introduction been made to regenerate beta cells in vitro by providing growth

factors and by reprogramming/trans differentiation of
Diabetes is one of the most common metabolic disorders terminally differentiated cell types [7]. However, none of these
associated with many life-threatening complications which approaches have proved to be successful in growing beta cells
make the life of a diabetic person worse. Diabetes is of two in vivo due to shortage of donors. The inefficient technique of
types- type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. Type 2 is the more β-cell generation and the difficulty of growing β-cell in adult
common type of diabetes worldwide (90-95%), marked by an humans sufficiently forces a patient to adhere to medication for
increased blood sugar level, frequent urination and weight loss. his whole life. Change in food habits plays an important role in
The other is type 1 or gestational diabetes (5-10%). In type 2 both type 1 and type 2 diabetes by modulating or completely
diabetes, impaired receptors do not respond to insulin, restoring normal glucose levels, thereby either decreasing or
eventually leading to insulin resistance while in type 1 there is eliminating the need of medicine/insulin [8].
a deficiency of insulin [1].
According to a recent estimate of International diabetes Case Presentation
federation, South East Asia region, in 2017, there were
Here, we present a case of a 23-year-old female, weighing 60
72,946,400 cases in India, 425 million cases in the world and
kg, who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at Fortis, Mohali
82 million in SEA (South East Asia) region, which is likely to
on 28 Dec 2011. She had been on insulin (60 U/day) for eight
go up to 151 million by 2045 [2]. According to an estimate
years before coming to us. She complained about her vision
drawn in 2015, India is housing about 97,700 children with
and was diagnosed with glaucoma in both her eyes and retinal
type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). Although type 1 is not as
detachment in her left eye. Her eyes had been operated on
prevalent as type 2, it shows a trend of 3-5% increase every
thrice. She displayed a nephropathy condition as stones were
year [3]. India itself records three new cases of T1DM/100,000
also found in her kidney.
children aged between 0-14 yrs. Three sets of prevalence data
show 17.93 cases/100,000 children in Karnataka, 3.2 cases/ She had been taking basic intervention through our video [9]
100,000 children in Chennai and 10.2 cases/100,000 children for five months (Aug 2018-Dec 2018), after which, she
in Karnal (Haryana) [4]. Type 1 diabetes is a juvenile onset approached us using the Diabetes 72 app [10] in Jan 2019. She
disorder which is characterized by pancreatic dysfunction due was put on intensive intervention, where she was monitored
to autoimmune reaction of the body where beta cells regularly by a six-member health team in Faridabad.
continuously get destroyed, eventually leading to insulin
deficiency [5]. One highly sensitive method of C-peptide Intervention
determination has shown that beta cells can be detected even
up to 40 years after the clinical onset of the disease. These For the initial five months, she had been following the video-
findings help patients with advanced diseases, for example, it recommended diet, which includes cooked food along with raw
helps patients whose b-cell function was thought to have long food. This diet is divided into breakfast, lunch and dinner.
ceased in getting benefit from interventions to preserve b-cell Breakfast includes four different types of fruits which weigh
function or to prevent complications [6]. A lot of effort has equal to body weight (in kg) × 10 = …(gm). Lunch includes

Biomed Res 2019 Volume 30 Issue 3 513

 Chowdhury

four types of raw vegetables which weigh equal to body weight dinner of Mixtard insulin, and 10 units before lunch of
(in kg) × 5 = … (gm) along with a normal cooked meal. Dinner Actrapid. In addition to that, she was taking 1000 mg of
is calculated the same way as lunch. In addition to this, soaked metformin per day. Her blood sugar level varied from 156 ± 24
nuts and sprouts are also a part of the diet and the quantity of mg/dl with total insulin (60 Unit) and 159 ± 5 with 25 U
these also depend on the patient’s body weight (kg)… (gm). insulin. Her HbA1c was 9.3% in 2011 and mean plasma
Sunshine is also an integral part of the prescribed diet. Packed glucose was 197 at the time of diagnosis (Table 1).
and refined food, nutritional supplements, non-steroidal anti-
Post intervention: The intervention was divided into two
inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and dinner at late hours are
phases.
strictly denied.
Basic intervention: Where cooked food was offered along
After five months, she was recommended to follow a more
with raw food (Aug 2018-Jan 2019).
restricted diet plan mainly consisting of fruits and raw
vegetables. Dairy products and cooked food were completely Intensive intervention: Where no cooked food was given (4-6
eliminated during intensive intervention [8]. A regular Jan 2019).
monitoring of glucose (fasting and post prandial) was carried
Her dependency on insulin decreased gradually from 60 U to
out during intervention.
25 U during basic the intervention phase, and eventually to nil
during intensive intervention phase. Her HBA1c was 7.2% post
Biochemical parameters intervention. Her C-peptide level was 0.93 (0.81-3.85) ng/ml,
Before intervention: The patient had been suffering from type mean plasma glucose was 160 and Glutamic acid
1 diabetes for eight years as was diagnosed in Dec 2011. She decarboxylase (GAD) 7 U/ml (value <30 is considered
was prescribed 28 units before breakfast and 22 units before negative) after dietary intervention (Table 1).

Table 1. The biochemical parameters before and after intervention.

Variables Date Insulin C-peptide GAD HbA1c (%) Blood sugar in average (mg/dl)

Mixtrad
At the time of diagnosis (2011)
(28.12.11) 28 U+22 U/day - - 9.3 160*

Actaprid 10 U/day

Till mid-August 50 U 156*

Basic intervention (2019) - - -
From mid Aug to Dec 25 U 159*

4th Jan 0 - - - 195

Intensive intervention (2019) 5th Jan 0 - - - 181

6th Jan 0 - - - 176

0.93 7 7.2
At the time of preparation of manuscript - 0 -
(19.2.2019) (5.3.2019) (18.2.2019)

Note: GAD = Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase, Parenthesis (-) represents the non-availability of data, *Glucose levels with insulin therapy

Discussion to 25U in 2018 per day owing to dietary intervention.

Presently, she is no longer dependent on insulin. Her glucose
Type 1 diabetes has been neglected for a long time and its levels are also in normal range without insulin (184 ± 9). Her
nationwide prevalence is not yet known. The growing number GAD values are suggestive of the reversal of type-1 diabetes.
of type 1 cases is a cause of concern as its treatment is difficult She adheres to regular follow ups. Evidences of cases of type 1
in comparison to that of type 2 [11]. In this article, we show a diabetes due to disturbed lifestyle are increasing [13]. Dietary
comprehensive analysis by stating the pre and post diabetic intervention is a great help to medical science in curbing type 1
condition of a proband severely affected with type 1 diabetes diabetes in a higher percentage, without causing any side
who approached us using the Diabetes 72 app in Jan 2019. Her effects. The complete reversal of chronic type 1 diabetes
HbA1c reading was close to 8 every time, which is on the through dietary intervention is a ray of hope to many patients
higher side. Higher values of HBA1c are suggestive of diabetic who are in the trap of medicines.
complications [12] which are evident by her eye and kidney
problem. Her insulin dependency reduced to less than half after
Conclusion
a basic dietary intervention, and finally, to nil after intensive
intervention. Originally, when she was diagnosed as diabetic, Diet plays a major role in the reversal of autoimmune diseases
her insulin intake was 60U in 2011 per day, and it came down like type 1 diabetes. If left untreated, diabetes type 1 can lead

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Reversal of type 1 diabetes using plant-based diet: A case study

to severe complications. Type-1 diabetes was once thought to measured with an ultrasensitive C-peptide assay. Diabetes
be irreversible and progressive after diagnosis, but evidences Care 2012; 35: 465-470.
suggest it can be reversed by following an appropriate diet 7. Tesemma SC, Getnet YA. Recent advance in diabetes
plan. Here, we successfully treated a patient suffering from therapy: Pancreatic beta cell regeneration approaches.
type 1 diabetes with complications by prescribing a customized Diabetes Manag 2016; 6: 108-118.
diet plan. We searched major literature databases like Research 8. Chowdhary BR. Diabetes reversal by plant-based diet. J
Gate, Pubmed and Google Scholar, but could not find any type Metabol Synd 2017.
1 reversal study of this kind. Therefore, this is the first report 9. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbGWZkBl5Hg.
of a diabetes type 1 reversal in the world as per best of our
10. https://biswaroop.com/diabetes72app.
knowledge.
11. http://www.biswaroop.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/
Last-Days-of-Diabetes-English-com.pdf
Acknowledgement
12. Zoungas S, Chalmers J, Ninomiya T, Li Q, Cooper ME,
Author thanks Dynamic Memory Pvt. Ltd. for the financial Colagiuri S, Fulcher G, De Galan BE, Harrap S, Hamet P,
support. Heller S, MacMahon S, Marre M, Poulter N, Travert F,
Patel A, Neal B, Woodward M; Advance Collaborative
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