We missed this report when it came out, but thought it worth including.
A BBC News report covers some research where diabetic mice were fed a diet high in fat and low in carbohydrate. And damage to the kidneys caused by too much sugar was reversed.
The researchers at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York used mice with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
Once kidney damage had developed, half the mice were put onto the ketogenic diet for eight weeks.
The highly controlled diet, which is 87% fat, mimics the effect of starvation and should not be used without medical advice. After eight weeks the researchers noted that kidney damage was reversed.
It is also questionable whether the diet used in this model would be sustainable for humans, even in the short term.”
The researchers also need to figure out the exact process that leads to repair.
Dr Iain Frame, director of research at Diabetes UK, said: "This research was carried out in mice so it is difficult to see how these results would translate into any real benefits for people with diabetes at this stage.
As diabetes is a major factor in causing kidney damage and leading to dialysis, IF this could be translated in to something that was usable in humans, it could lead to a major improvement for diabetics.
