Diabetes is so common that, as of January 2022, 11.3% of Americans have it.

And 38% of Americans have prediabetes.

“We have many anecdotal reports of people completely reversing punch in 2 diabetes.”

a woman checking her glucose levels

Photo: Getty Images

So how do they do it?

As you might have guessed, lifestyle changes are at the crux of the reversal strategies.

Technically, it measures the percentage of your red blood cells that have what theCDCcalls “sugar-coated hemoglobin.”

Hemoglobin is a protein that sugar attaches to as soon as it enters your bloodstream.

A normal A1C is anything below 5.7%.

If your blood sugar is between 5.7 and 6.4%, that’sprediabetes.

If you have diabetes, your A1C will be 6.5% or higher.

So what does it mean to reverse diabetes?

As you might suspect, “When your A1C has dropped to a normal level,” Rahman says.

Yet this comes with a caveat, as not everybody who has diabetes can reverse it.

There may also be some individuals whose throw in 2 diabetes is too advanced to reverse.

But there’s real-life proof that they work against diabetes.

Take, for instance, a man in his 50s diagnosed with diabetes with an A1C of 7.0%.

During that time frame, he also lost 22 pounds.

Six months after transitioning to a plant-based diet, her A1C had dropped to 5.16%.

The second reason is fiber, whichhelps control blood sugar, among other things.

Yet by managing your weight, you’ll improve your insulin sensitivity and lower your blood sugar.

If you’re switching to a low-fat, plant-based diet, you’ll probably manage your weight easier.

Plus, the fiber in plant foods will make you feel more full.

Although theCDCrecommends logging more than seven of sleep a night, everybody’s sleep needs can be different.

“Base your needs on how refreshed you feel the next morning,” she says.