Integration of a fasting-mimicking diet programme in primary care for type 2 diabetes reduces the need for medication and improves glycaemic control: a 12-month randomised controlled trial

One hundred adults with type 2 diabetes managed with metformin and/or diet, under their regular primary care doctor, were randomly assigned over 12 months to add monthly 5-day Fasting Mimicking Diet (FMD) cycles to usual care, or to continue usual care alone, in this assessor-blinded trial.

The authors reported that after 12 months, the FMD group needed less glucose-lowering medication, had improved HbA1c despite using less medication, and lost more body weight than the usual-care group; on the authors' combined measure of glycaemic management (medication use and HbA1c together), 53% of the FMD group improved compared with 8% of the usual-care group, and 23% versus 59% deteriorated.

This was a real-world primary-care trial in people already diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and already on treatment; it reports change in medication use and blood sugar control in that specific population, not a claim about preventing or curing diabetes. The FMD was added to participants' regular care from their general practitioner, not used in place of it. The study was co-funded in part by L-Nutra, Prolon's parent company.