Is Intermittent Fasting Safe With Type 2 Diabetes?

Potential Drawback of Intermittent Fasting: It May Harm Blood Sugar Control

On the other hand, some experts say that intermittent fasting carries risks, especially for people who need to keep their blood sugar levels stable. For starters, intermittent fasting can result in hypoglycemia, not to mention issues such as fatigue.

Time-restricted eating and other forms of intermittent fasting may also cause people to make poor dietary choices, which can have the opposite effect on their waistline and blood sugar. If you haven’t eaten for hours, you may be more inclined to reach for a carb-heavy pastry or plate of pasta, for instance.

“Blood sugar management can be a real concern with intermittent fasting for people with type 2 diabetes,” Sheth says. “That’s why it’s important to discuss intermittent fasting with your physician, monitor your blood sugar closely, and know that your medications may need to be adjusted as well.” Your dietitian or a certified diabetes educator can guide and support you through this process,” she says.

A plan that severely restricts a person’s calories or asks them to skip meals can be hard to stick with long term, too, says Ruth S. Pupo, CDCES, who practices at Adventist Health White Memorial in Los Angeles.

Another review, however, found that fasting participants in one study faced a significant increase in severe hypoglycemic episodes, particularly those taking sulfonylureas or insulin. This complication can be life threatening, so it’s important to take precautions to prevent it. People who take these medications may not be candidates for an intermittent fasting diet or will need to adjust their treatment regimens and glucose monitoring with the advise of a physician before starting to fast.

Certain people, such as those who are pregnant or breastfeeding or have an underlying disease or medical condition, should also avoid intermittent fasting, Pupo says. “Anytime you have a higher demand for more nutrition, you don’t want to do a fast,” she says. People who are pregnant or breastfeeding require extra calories for themselves and their babies, Pupo says, and fasting can cause them to run out of glucose for energy and instead burn fat and muscle.