Study of Indian Dietary Intervention in Early Type 2 Diabetes patients show encouraging results
Pune, 13th November 2026: A study conducted by Chellaram Diabetes Institute, Pune, and Dr Kale’s Diabetes and Psychiatry Clinic, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, on Indian Dietary Intervention in Early Type 2 Diabetes patients has shown encouraging results. The study reported that 60.9% of adults with early Type 2 diabetes achieved remission following a six-month nutrition and lifestyle intervention based on a traditional Indian diet and structured physical activity.
Published in the international journal Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research & Reviews (Elsevier, 2026), the study involved 87 adults with a diabetes duration of up to two years. The intervention followed a Local Healthy Moderate Carbohydrate (LHMC) diet comprising familiar Indian foods such as multigrain chapatis, lentils, sprouts, green leafy vegetables, nuts and fruits, with defined portions and balanced macronutrients. Participants were also advised to undertake 40 minutes of daily walking and 10 minutes of deep breathing exercises.
At the end of six months, 53 participants (60.9%) achieved diabetes remission without glucose-lowering medication. The participants also recorded an average weight reduction of 4.67 kg and a decline in average HbA1c levels from 7.32% to 6.27%, indicating improved blood glucose control.
An important observation was the association between regular physical activity and remission. Participants who followed the prescribed walking routine on at least 80% of days had 8.24 times higher adjusted odds of achieving remission compared with those with lower adherence.
The findings highlight the potential of practical, affordable and culturally appropriate dietary and lifestyle interventions in managing early Type 2 diabetes.
Dr Vedavati Purandare, Consultant Diabetologist and Head of Clinical Services, Chellaram Hospital Diabetes Care and Multispecialty. said, ““Our patients did not need special foods, skipped meals or fasting windows. They ate the traditional Indian food their families eat, in measured portions, and walked every day. Six in ten reached remission without any diabetes medicine, and those who walked most consistently did best,”
“Diabetes has long been thought of as a disease that only gets worse. This study shows that, caught early, it can be put into remission with the Indian plate, not against it. Restrictive diets need not be prescribed for every patient; care can be individualised. A larger controlled trial must now confirm these findings, and patients should change their treatment only with consultation with their doctor,” said Dr A.G. Unnikrishnan, CEO and Endocrinologist, Chellaram Hospital Diabetes Care and Multispecialty.
“Running the study in two cities let us test this approach with people from different backgrounds rather than in a single clinic. Our participants ate what their families eat: chapati, dal, sprouts and vegetables, in measured portions. We followed what they ate through food diaries, photographs of their meals and regular phone calls, and we found that people could keep it up for six months. The clearest signal in our data was daily exercise. Those who did exercise on most days were far more likely to reach remission. That is a message any person with diabetes, in any town, can act on,” said Dr Mayura Kale, researcher in the study.
“As a researcher, I am interested in what changed inside the body. Insulin resistance fell, triglycerides and liver enzymes came down, and continuous glucose monitoring showed glucose staying in the normal range without any diabetes medicine. Together these suggest that the body’s own control of glucose was improving. We analysed every participant who enrolled, including those who left the study, and the remission rate still held at 53%. This was a single-arm study, so a randomised trial is the next step. The Chellaram Foundation supports research of this kind because a largely plant-based diet of grains, pulses, vegetables and nuts can be good for people and for the planet,” said Dr Shalbha Tiwari, research scientist and key member of the Chellaram Diabetes Research Centre, speaking as a researcher and on behalf of the Chellaram Foundation.
The study.
• 87 adults who had had type 2 diabetes for 2 years or less, at CHDM Pune and Dr Kale’s clinic, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
• All diabetes medicines stopped from day one, under close medical supervision
• About 1200 kcal a day of home-cooked food: multigrain chapati, dal, sprouts, vegetables, nuts and fruit; carbohydrate 44–46%, protein 25–30%, fat 25–30% of energy
• 40 minutes of walking and 10 minutes of deep breathing every day
• Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) to track glucose at the start and end of the study
What it found at six months
| Measure | Result |
| Remission, off all diabetes medicines | 60.9% (53 of 87); 61.3% of those who completed |
| Weight | 4.7 kg lower on average |
| HbA1c | 7.32% to 6.27% (56.5 to 45.0 mmol/mol) |
| Walking on 80% or more of days | 8.24 times the odds of remission (P = 0.004) |
| Time in normal glucose range on CGM | 90.7% with remission vs 85.5% without (P = 0.040) |
| Rescue medicines needed | 3 of 87; no major adverse events |
(Caution. The study had no control group and lasted six months, so a randomised trial must confirm it. Patients should not stop diabetes medicines on their own.
Published in: Kale MC, Purandare VB, Tiwari S, Aherkar J, Kulkarni G, Manekar S, et al. Diabetes Metab Syndr. 2026;20:103487. doi:10.1016/j.dsx.2026.103487)
