Can Diabetes Be Controlled Or Reversed With Food Alone? Asks Happiest Health Webinar On World Diabetes Day

* The webinar’s panellists offered health insights and shared their knowledge with participants in the moderated session

* The panel took questions towards the end of the webinar, addressing various concerns regarding diabetes management

 Health and wellness knowledge platform Happiest Health hosted a webinar on ‘Can Diabetes Be Reversed With Food Alone?’ on World Diabetes Day (November 14, 2022). With diabetes rising globally and there being plenty of uncertainty over diet and remission, Happiest Health brought together a panel of expert calibre to shed light on various aspects of the disease, particularly around diet and disease management. The webinar concluded with the panellists answering questions submitted by the participants.

Padma Bhushan and Dr. B.C. Roy Award recipient, Dr Ambrish Mithal (Chairman and Head Of The Endocrinology and Diabetes Division Of Max Healthcare Hospital, New Delhi), Dr Vijay Viswanathan (Head and Chief Diabetologist, MV Hospital For Diabetes, Chennai), and Ms Kavita Devgan (nutritionist and author of ‘The Immunity Diet’) formed the panel.

One of the most asked questions concerning diabetes, in general, is about diet—should carbohydrates be avoided entirely, can patients consume sugar, is there an ideal diet that works for everyone, and more. Ms Kavita addressed these areas, saying, “Losing weight is massively beneficial in the fight against diabetes. Sticking to a sustainable, long-term diet and replacing refined grains with complex grains is a crucial first step and helps patients manage their disease much better. Grain rotation, a protein-carbohydrate balanced diet, and incorporating fibre-heavy food like oats and barley help keep blood sugar in check.”

Furthermore, Kavita emphasised people’s misconceptions about sugar and the general need for awareness about the types of food they’re eating. She said people need to be educated about their diets and the quality of their calories and given more insights into eating routines.

Another topic that was prominently discussed was how alcohol consumption affects type-2 diabetes. The panellists agreed that people could enjoy alcohol but should be aware of existing co-morbidities and the possibility of hypoglycaemia. Dr Ambrish spoke of drinking in moderation and said restraint was required when it came to alcohol consumption. He also elaborated on the surge of diabetic patients worldwide and explained how lifestyle changes were responsible. When asked about policy measures to control diabetes, he said, “Ensuring pregnant mothers, children, and teenagers are aware of the right food choices and have access to proper nutrition is vital. Schools should offer more healthy options to students in their midday meals. And we need to ensure diabetes educators and nutritionists are trained and don’t dispense advice based on personal experience besides investing in chronic care.”

Dr Ambrish even discussed the importance of weight management to increase the chances of remission, highlighting the benefits of a tailored lifestyle and a proper diet, in line with Kavita’s opinions.

Meanwhile, Dr Vijay offered his thoughts on insulin resistance in type-2 diabetes management and neuropathic complications arising from diabetes and their prevention. He also shared his perspective on whether reorientation of type-2 diabetes management strategies was required in the post-pandemic scenario: “The American Diabetes Association and European Association for the Study of Diabetes recently released new guidelines that place the patient at the centre. The approaches advise considering weight, cardiovascular protection, and cardiorenal protection. Since COVID-19 destroys beta cells, these latest guidelines are crucial, and choosing new drugs will hinge on considering their focus points.”

The webinar covered several other topics like challenges to charting ideal diets and following them, long-term diabetes management, and the need for more awareness and community-level intervention.

“Despite being prevalent, especially in India, there remain doubts and misconceptions surrounding diabetes. We saw an opportunity to change that and invited some of the best minds to inform and acquaint people better through their experiences. As expected, the panellists delivered unique perspectives that we trust participants found beneficial and encouraging,” said Ashish Pratap Singh, Chief Marketing Officer of Happiest Health.

About Happiest Health

Happiest Health is a global health & wellness knowledge enterprise promoted by Ashok Soota. Happiest Health provides credible and trustworthy health and wellness knowledge with views from globally renowned experts and doctors. The primary knowledge platforms are the daily newsletter, knowledge website, and soon-to-be-launched monthly print magazine.

Happiest Health embraces scientific knowledge with a keen focus on medical breakthroughs providing kinder, gentler therapies including cell-based treatments. It also has deep coverage of integrated medicine including Ayurveda, homeopathy and naturopathy. Happiest Health’s focus on wellness is holistic and energizing. They live by their Mission Statement: “Better Knowledge. Better Health.” and convey its benefits to all.

For more information visit: https://www.happiesthealth.com/