IF and Understanding and treating Diabetes - Dr​ Jason Fung

[S11m]

We have had a couple of posts about diabetes - but I thought that this warranted a post to itself...

I found this video about understanding and treating diabetes ...by Dr Jason Fung.

youtu.be/Gw61ad-wedo(Not working as expected?)

It starts with “Understanding diabetes”.... but about halfway through he starts talking about Fasting.

Diabetics should fast with medical support, and this video is for doctors who will be monitoring and treating diabetics.

Watch the video – but here is my summary:

There are expensive medicines that work ¿could you get them on the NHS? but the cost-effective strategy that works is (Intermittent) Fasting with an LCHF or keto diet – no surprises there!

We recommend transitioning into IF, but when you are ill with acute diabetes, and under medical supervision, you can get quicker results without “transitioning in slowly”.

He recommends a 24 to 36 hour fast three times a week.

He says that OMAD can lead to plateaux, which can be fixed with longer fasts... I thought that I was beginning to plateau a bit after being on IF 20:4 for about twenty months – so I have done several 68-hour fasts.

Having transitioned into IF over about a year, I find 68-hour fasts no problem, but he says that his patients tend to feel rough after 48 hours, and after five days they feel that they can go on forever!

For patients with acute diabetes he, initially, uses a 14-day water-fast, with a review after 7 days... but, if you feel really rough, give up and try something easier. I think that being really ill gives diabetics a lot of motivation!

He says that a little bit of hypoglycaemia is OK – but is he treating in-clinic patients who will not be driving?

Your doctor might be interested in the list of blood tests he uses, and his adjustments to medication... he recommends Epson salts for magnesium deficiency.

He says that, in longer fasts, dizziness can be caused by salt (sodium) deficiency - I have a heaped teaspoon of Himalayan salt in my green tea every morning.

He says that Fasting can affect the warfarin dose required – when I told my doctor I was Intermittent Fasting, she took me off Warfarin and put me on Apixaban=Equilis.

He said that Intermittent Fasting 16:8 does not have much beneficial effect for Diabetes.

[Hidden]

Hi S11m, thanks for posting this, it's very interesting.

[S11m Volunteer 70lb IF20 in reply to Hidden]

Hi, Jerry… please link it to the Diabetes forums.

[Stoozie Administrator]

Thaanks for this

Quick clarification, 3x 36hr fasts a week would mean not eating for 4.5 of 7 days each week?

[S11m Volunteer 70lb IF20 in reply to Stoozie]

If you normally eat in a 12-hour window, and you do not eat all day one day, that is 36 hours (two nights and a day) fasting.

I normally fast 20:4, so if I do not eat all day one day I extend my fast from 20 to 44 hours, e.g. Fasting on Saturday mean not eating from Friday lunch (finish at 14:00) to Sunday 10:00 breakfast.

[Stoozie Administrator in reply to S11m]

Cool. Yes, I was just wondering if Dr Fung really means for people to routinely do that 3 times a week?

[S11m Volunteer 70lb IF20 in reply to Stoozie]

ADF (Alternate Day Fasting) would involve doing it three or four times a week.

Fasting three days a week would be 4:3. The Mosley "Fast 800" 5:2 diet involves eating 800 calories a day two days a week - this would be eating no calories three days a week.

It would be harder and more beneficial than 5:2, but easier than the 14-day water fast he normally starts acute patients on.

The 14-day fast lasts a fortnight - and I think he probably would not have patients on 4:3 for extended periods, even under medical supervision.