Bengaluru-based doctor urges ICMR to prescribe dietary standards for Type 2 diabetics

Bengaluru: A Bengaluru-based doctor treating diabetics is pushing for the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to develop a scientific dietary management protocol for Type 2 diabetes.

Earlier this month, Dr Vasu H V, allopathic doctor and founder of the Active Health Diabetes Centre, wrote to the ICMR and the Department of Health, Government of Karnataka, about issuing a clarification regarding diabetes reversal and remission in patients with Type 2 diabetes.

He wrote in the context of studies and his observations of patients that dietary changes like reducing carbohydrates can lead to the remission of newly detected diabetes and prediabetes.

Dr Vasu noted: “The National Health Service, UK, sponsored a study in 2014 on subjects who are diabetic for six years or less. It was the first such study that gave robust evidence that dietary changes can help in the remission of diabetes in a significant number of patients with Type 2 diabetes.”

“The concept of reversal is not widespread in India. Many people practise different things; most doctors give medication or prescribe different diets. Therefore, the ICMR must come out with a standard protocol backed by science and clarify whether diabetes can be treated by diet only, is reversible or not, and if medication can be reduced or not,” Dr Vasu told DH. 

Since no protocol or diet regimen exists in India, confusion prevails among patients about what system works, resulting in companies peddling 100 per cent reversal as a possibility for all patients with no regulation or guidelines.

He said prescribing a low calorie, low-carbohydrate diet for his patients led to a ‘significant’ reduction in their medication and about 95 per cent of patients with Type 2 diabetes could also stop insulin in three months following this regime.

He urged the ICMR to conduct independent research and take data from practitioners such as himself to issue a standard protocol for dietary management.