NHS ‘soup and shake’ diet that is reversing type 2 diabetes

'Total diet replacement' isn't for everyone, but it has had dramatic results on the NHS.

Completely cutting out normal food from your diet for three months has been shown to drastically cut rates of type 2 diabetes in a new study.

Patients were given pre-made soups and milkshakes, as well as special chocolate bars, and told to only eat these for the first 12 weeks of a year-long programme.

A new paper published in the journal Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology showed that almost a third of those who completed the programme managed to put their diabetes into remission.

NHS England said that the paper shows that its Type 2 Diabetes Path to Remission programme could benefit ‘thousands’ of people with the condition.

Three months of ‘total diet replacement’ does seem to have a drastic effect on weight loss, as you might expect, thereby reducing risk from type 2 diabetes.

But it’s not a magical cure, as the stats on the study show.

Out of 7,540 people who took part in the programme between September 2020 and the end of 2022, only 945 completed it and provided blood samples.

Of this 945, 32% had put their condition into remission – which was defined by average blood glucose (sugar) levels over a period of time, with an average weight loss of 15.9kg.

So 68% of those who completed the programme still had type 2 diabetes at the end of it, though they may well have seen health benefits.

More worryingly, and perhaps understandably, most people did not complete the study.

What is the NHS soup and shake diet?

Three months of eating 800-1200 calories a day of ready-made soups and shakes (designed to provide the necessary balance of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals) is not for everyone.

It is a low amount of calories, which is always tricky if you have anything else to do with your life other than diet, such as working, parenting, or really anything.

Then there’s the lack of other foods other than powdered soup and protein bars, which you’d probably be quite fed up with after a week or two.

After three months, you get to switch to normal, real food again, though still following a diet plan which goes on for the remaining nine months.

For those with the willpower to stick it out, the results seem promising.

It comes after the diet got a lot of hype when it was first prescribed in 2020 following encouraging trials.

Now the soup and shake train shows no sign of slowing, as it will now be available across the country.

Can I buy the NHS soup and shake diet?

Yes, you can buy something similar.

Those prescribed the diet on the NHS will be provided with their foods, as well as given scheduled check-ins for how it is going.

But you can also buy the soups and shakes yourself, though do take care if embarking on any restrictive diet and speak to your doctor with any concerns.

Companies including Altralife and Optifast UK have supplied the NHS with products for the diets, which are also available for the general public to buy.

Who is eligible for the NHS programme?

Over 25,000 people have already embarked on the soup and shake diet since it was first launched in 2020 and officials in England are ploughing £13 million into it this year to ensure that more people can benefit.

Adults aged 18-65 can enrol if they have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in the last six years, and if they have a body mass index score of over 27 (if they are white) or over 25 (if they are from Black, Asian or other minority ethnic groups).

Dr Clare Hambling, clinical director for diabetes and obesity in the NHS, said the programme ‘can have a huge impact on the lives of participants’.

She said: ‘We know obesity is one of the biggest threats to health in the UK and will be one of the biggest and most costly challenges for health systems globally, so seeing such encouraging outcomes from our programme shows that obesity can be tackled head-on, and we’re looking forward to scoping any further expansion to this programme in due course.’

Dr Elizabeth Robertson, director of research at Diabetes UK, said: ‘We hope to see even more people benefiting in years to come and an increase in referrals to the programme especially for people recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and in younger people where the impact of type 2 diabetes and remission from it is greatest.’

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