There was a time when type 2 diabetes in Native American and Alaska Native adults was virtually unheard of. Today they are three times more likely to have type 2 diabetes compared to white adults. For our country overall, today’s statistics reveal that 38.4 million Americans live with diabetes, with the overwhelming majority suffering from type 2 diabetes.

The biggest change in the past 100 years for Native American and Alaska Native adults, and all Americans for that matter, has been their diet. Commencing in the 1940s, as farming became more mechanized along with the mass production of food stuffs the changes in our diets became quite dramatic. As those changes took place the diets of native Indians’ changed primarily from wild meat with few carbohydrates to the Standard American Diet (SAD). The white population also changed from primarily grass-fed meats and vegetables to SAD. Those changes have been catastrophic for health.

Dr. Simopoulos explains her image in the Abstract as:

Human beings evolved consuming a diet that contained about equal amounts of n-3 and n-6 essential fatty acids. Over the past 100–150 y there has been an enormous increase in the consumption of n-6 fatty acids due to the increased intake of vegetable oils from corn, sunflower seeds, safflower seeds, cottonseed, and soybeans. Today, in Western diets, the ratio of n-6 to n-3 fatty acids ranges from <20–30:1 instead of the traditional range of 1–2:1. Studies indicate that a high intake of n-6 fatty acids shifts the physiologic state to one that is prothrombotic and proaggregatory, characterized by increases in blood viscosity, vasospasm, and vasoconstriction and decreases in bleeding time. n-3 Fatty acids, however, have antiinflammatory, antithrombotic, antiarrhythmic, hypolipidemic, and vasodilatory properties. These beneficial effects of n-3 fatty acids have been shown in the secondary prevention of coronary heart disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and, in some patients with renal disease, rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, Crohn disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Look closely in the image and you can see where oils, trans fats, and n-6 fatty acids soared in the diet as n-3 fatty acids actually declined! Take note that the chart dates back four million years! But the changes in the diet start with the invention of grain farming 10,000 years ago. In Dr. Simopoulos’ report she has a schematic that illustrates how the diets high in Omega-6 lead to health issues.

Among the many scientists that have shown thousands of people how to reverse type 2 diabetes is Dr. Stephen Phinney. He is a physician-scientist and co-founder of Virta Health, known for his expertise in low carbohydrate and ketogenic diets, as well as their effects on obesity and insulin sensitivity. He has more than 40 years of experience in clinical nutrition and has published extensively on these topics. Virta is a medically supervised, research-backed program that helps people reverse Type 2 diabetes and lose weight by improving blood sugar (HbA1c). It uses personalized nutrition support with a physician-led care team and a dedicated health coach, plus diabetes testing supplies and an online support community.

Why is his approach “physician-led?” Because his approach works so fast that people must consult with their doctors to reduce their Type 2 diabetes medications because they can create an overdose situation which will be a health issue!

So, the answer to the question; “Can You Reverse Type 2 Diabetes?” is yes. Will it work for everyone 100%? No, but it works for the vast majority of people who have the discipline to change their diets. It’s the same old story. If you do what you always did . . . you know the outcome.

You can find studies by both of these scientists in the links below.

Studies and Resources

• Essential Fatty Acids in Health and Chronic Disease by Artemis P. Simopoulos, M.D.
• Five-Year Outcomes of a Digitally Delivered Carbohydrate-Reduced Nutrition Intervention for Prediabetes by Dr. Stephen Phinney, MD, PhD, DSc
• Artemis P. Simopoulos, M.D. Center for Genetics, Nutrition and Health
• Dr. Stephen Phinney, MD, PhD, DSc
• Virta Health