A new study revealed that diabetics can restore the shape and size of a healthy pancreas by losing weight, and the researchers said that type II diabetics have an irregularly shaped pancreas up to a third smaller than a normal pancreas, according to the British newspaper “Daily Mail”.
The researchers said that the pancreas can be restored to normal size if diabetics begin to recover by losing about (10 to 15 kilograms).
The disease develops when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, the hormone that regulates blood sugar, or when the insulin does not work properly.
Until today, it wasn’t clear if a shrinking pancreas was among the causes of type 2 diabetes, or if it was a consequence of the condition.
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But the experience has shown conclusively that the shrinking pancreas is associated with excess fat, and it can return to normal if diabetics lose about (ten to 15 kg).
In addition to producing hormones to regulate blood sugar, a healthy pancreas produces enzymes to break down food.
Experts said the new findings add to the mounting evidence that people with type 2 diabetes should be urged to follow a radical, low-calorie diet.
Professor Roy Taylor of the University of Newcastle, UK, who led the study, said the results would be “very encouraging” for the patients.
In 2018, the study found that half of patients who followed a strict diet of soups and shakes of no more than 850 calories per day, aiming to lose 15 kg, were cured of diabetes.
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The same team now found that the size of the pancreas of those who had been in remission for two years increased by 20% – roughly to normal size, there was also a decrease in the amount of fat in the pancreas, and the irregular shape had returned to normal.
Experts said that losing weight reduces the amount of fat in the pancreas that restores it in its entirety and helps restore beta cells – which produce insulin.
The results have been presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes Conference and are to be published at The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology.
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