She has been researching intermittent fasting for 20 years. Christa Varady Published research showing weight loss plan is safe for a variety of people. But Varady has always warned against fasting for one group: people with type 1 diabetes.
So she was surprised when she started asking why the endocrinologist gave such advice. Given that fasting can cause a drop in blood sugar levels, she replied, “Isn’t that dangerous?” “And they’ll say, ‘No, it should work just fine if the patient works closely with the doctor.'”
Endocrinologists base their beliefs primarily on anecdotal evidence from their own clinics, she said. So Varady, a professor of nutrition at the University of Illinois at Chicago, teamed up with a group of endocrinologists to investigate whether time-restricted eating is a good option for people with type 1 diabetes. did.
The researchers recently published a paper. Endocrine and metabolic trends This suggests that time-restricted eating is safe and effective for people with type 1 diabetes. They also started a pilot clinical trial at UIC to test this theory. I hope to complete it within about a year..
Time-restricted eating is a type of intermittent fasting in which you eat whatever you want during part of the day, such as from noon to 8 p.m., and then fast the rest of the day. To date, there have been no clinical trials of time-restricted eating in people with type 1 diabetes, but Varady’s group is the first to study different types of fasting in this population. It is being done.
Paper suggests fasting is safe for people with type 1 diabetes
In their paper, Researchers looked at seven fasting studies — everything they could find For type 1 diabetics. The scope of the research is: From studies on water fasting, where you only consume water for a day or two, to studies that tracked how people with type 1 diabetes fared during their Ramadan fast.
Overall, no side effects of fasting, such as hypoglycemia or diabetic ketoacidosis, were observed. Also, in some studies, people lost weight and lowered their average blood sugar levels.
“It certainly seems like it could be useful,” Varady said.
Pilot study will shed further light
In a pilot study, researchers looked at how Comparing time-restricted eating to calorie counting and a control group of people with type 1 diabetes.
They plan to enroll 60 participants (20 in each group) and use the results to obtain funding for a larger study. Dr. Sirimon Reutrakul, A UIC professor of medicine who specializes in diabetes treatment is a co-author.
This study builds on recent clinical research by Varady et al., which showed that time-restricted eating is safe and effective. Helping people with type 2 diabetes Lose weight and control blood sugar levels.
Varady stressed that diabetics should consult their doctor before starting any type of fasting. In their paper, the authors recommend considering factors such as glucose monitoring and insulin adjustment. The first two weeks of fasting should be carefully monitored until the patient’s body adapts to the changes, the researchers added.
“People absolutely have to work with their doctors,” Varady says. “Don’t start on your own.”
Other authors on the paper are Mary-Claire Runchey of UIC, Alaina Vidmar of the University of Southern California, and Lisa Chow of the University of Minnesota.
