Type 2 Diabetes: Why It’s Not About Too Much Sugar

When I first experienced it, I was shocked to see that some people with type 2 diabetes can fast
on juice for 3-6 days or eat a very low-calorie plant-based diet and literally eliminate their insulin
medications. How is that possible?

Type 2 diabetes is not caused by the pancreas not producing enough insulin, but rather by the
cells not being able to utilize the insulin. When you fast or eat a plant-based diet of only about
600 calories a day for a short period, the cells are cleansed and finally able to utilize the insulin.
As Dr. Michael Greger maintains, the key is not insulin production. That key is there, the
problem is that something has gummed up the lock by making the cells insulin resistant. But
with what? Not sugar, with fat.

Insulin resistance, characterized by the body’s diminished response to insulin, is widely
recognized as a central factor in the development of type 2 diabetes. Emerging research
suggests that the accumulation of fat within cells, particularly in skeletal muscle and the liver,
plays a crucial role in driving insulin resistance and the progression to type 2 diabetes.
As highlighted in research, obesity is strongly associated with insulin resistance. The enlarged
adipose tissue mass in obesity can lead to systemic insulin resistance through various
mechanisms.

Excess fat deposition in non-adipose tissues, such as the skeletal muscle and liver, can also
contribute to insulin resistance. This phenomenon, known as "lipotoxicity," occurs when the
capacity of adipose tissue to store fat is exceeded, leading to the accumulation of harmful lipids
in other organs.

The increased presence of free fatty acids and other bioactive lipids in the body can impair
insulin signaling and glucose metabolism in target tissues. This disruption of the adipo-insulin
axis, the intricate relationship between adipose tissue and insulin action, is a key driver of
insulin resistance and the development of type 2 diabetes.

The location of body fat, not just the overall amount, can influence the degree of insulin
resistance. Specifically, the accumulation of visceral or abdominal fat is more strongly linked to
insulin resistance and metabolic complications compared to subcutaneous fat.

In summary, the available evidence strongly supports the notion that insulin resistance and the
accumulation of fat within cells, particularly in skeletal muscle and the liver, are the primary
factors underlying the development of type 2 diabetes.

In his bestselling book, How Not To Die, Dr. Michael Greger, one of the most respected
researchers on plant based diet today, writes: “The bottom line: Blood sugar levels can
normalize within a week of eating [or juice fasting] six hundred calories daily, because fat is
pulled out of the muscles, liver, and pancreas, allowing them to function normally again.”

Here at Prama Wellness Center, I have been a witness to the truth of what Dr. Greger is
claiming many times. To paraphrase a famous saying: the truth is in the plant based chia
pudding.

Citations:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2886982/
Greger, Michael, How Not To Die, Flat Iron Books, 2015, pages 101-117