The 5:2 diet, made famous by TV diet guru and Daily Mail columnist Dr Michael Mosley, produces better results for patients with type 2 diabetes than medication, a study suggests.
The much-loved doctor and author, who died earlier this month at the Agia Marina resort in Crete, was best known for his revolutionary weight loss plan which involves fasting two days a week and eating a balanced diet the rest of the time. .
Politicians such as former chancellor George Osborne and Rishi Sunak are said to have tried fasting.
And Jennifer Aniston, Chris Pratt and Kourtney Kardashian are among the Hollywood celebrities who have jumped on the diet trend since it rose to fame in the early 2010s.
Now, a clinical trial of overweight and obese adults with type 2 diabetes has found that this approach can improve blood glucose levels and increase weight loss more than taking common medications for the condition.
The 5:2 diet, made famous by TV diet guru and Mail columnist Dr Michael Mosley, produces better results for type 2 diabetes patients than medication, study suggests
Dr Mosley, who died earlier this month at the Agia Marina resort in Crete, was best known for his revolutionary weight loss plan which involves fasting two days a week and eating a balanced diet the rest of the time. Pictured with his wife, Dr Clare Bailey.
Politicians such as former chancellor George Osborne and Rishi Sunak are said to have tried forms of fasting diets. And Jennifer Aniston, Chris Pratt and Kourtney Kardashian are among the Hollywood celebrities who have jumped on the fasting trend since it rose to fame in the early 2010s.
A team led by scientists from Beijing Hospital in China recruited more than 400 patients who were assigned to three groups.
One received the diabetes drug metformin, another received another diabetes drug called empagliflozin, and another received the 5:2 diet.
Participants in the 5:2 group consumed a low-energy meal replacement two days a week, with a daily intake of 500 calories for women and 600 calories for men.
On the remaining five days they chose their own breakfast and lunch, but ate a low-calorie meal replacement for dinner.
They were also encouraged to monitor their calorie intake during the treatment period.
The analysis revealed that those in the 5:2 group achieved better blood glucose levels at 16 weeks compared to those taking either medication.
This group also achieved the greatest weight loss of 9.7 kg compared to 5.5 kg in the metformin group and 5.8 kg in the empagliflozin group.
Writing in the journal Jama Network Open, researchers said: “The 5:2 meal replacement approach may serve as an effective initial lifestyle intervention in place of antidiabetic medications for patients with type 2 diabetes.”
The analysis revealed that those in the 5:2 group achieved better blood glucose levels at 16 weeks compared to those taking either medication.
Jennifer Aniston is among the Hollywood celebrities who have jumped on the diet trend since she rose to fame in the early 2010s. Here she is photographed in Los Angeles in 2020.
Dr. Mosley was first introduced to the 5:2 diet through a 2011 study and it became the backbone of his 2013 book The Fast Diet.
On the diet’s website, Dr Mosley said those who follow the diet can expect to lose about 0.5kg per week and enjoy health benefits, from improvements in blood pressure and cholesterol levels to better insulin sensitivity.
The health guru even found personal success with the 5:2 diet when he reversed his type 2 diabetes.
Commenting on the study, Naveed Sattar, Professor of Cardiometabolic Medicine at the University of Glasgow, said: “This trial is relatively simple and shows what we already know: that excess weight is the key driver of diabetes and therefore Therefore, weight loss significantly improves glucose levels.
“The question is whether such changes and the 5:2 diets are sustainable, especially since the trial was short-term… with greater than expected weight losses in all three arms.”
Figures show around 3 million patients were prescribed drugs used to treat diabetes in England in 2020/21.
