Last reviewed on 11 September 2026.
NNWA publishes the name and qualifications of everyone who writes and checks its material. You can see the full teaching team on the faculty page.
This guide explains what the science actually shows, what a legitimate course should teach, and how to spot one that is not. It is written by NNWA's diabetes education faculty. NNWA does not sell a "reversal" course; it runs diabetes nutrition and diabetes educator courses, and it holds its own teaching to the same standard described here.
Can type 2 diabetes be reversed?
For some people, it can go into remission, which is not quite the same as reversal. In 2021, a joint statement from the American Diabetes Association, the European Association for the Study of Diabetes and Diabetes UK defined remission as an HbA1c below 6.5 per cent, measured at least three months after stopping all glucose-lowering medicine. Remission means blood sugar is in the normal range without medicine. It does not mean the underlying tendency has gone, and blood sugar can rise again, particularly if weight returns.
What does the evidence on remission show?
The best known trial is DiRECT, published in The Lancet in 2018. People with type 2 diabetes diagnosed within the previous six years followed a structured weight loss programme in primary care, starting with a total diet replacement phase. After a year, 46 per cent of those in the programme were in remission, compared with 4 per cent in the control group, and remission was strongly linked to how much weight people lost. At two years, 36 per cent remained in remission. The findings are genuine and important, and they also show that remission is not guaranteed and not permanent for everyone.
Who is most likely to achieve remission?
People diagnosed recently, who lose a substantial amount of weight, and who have some remaining ability to produce insulin. The longer someone has had diabetes, and the more their insulin production has declined, the less likely remission becomes. People who need insulin after many years of diabetes are much less likely to achieve it. A legitimate course teaches this clearly, because telling someone with long-standing diabetes that they can reverse it with diet sets them up for disappointment or danger.
Why is stopping medicine without a doctor dangerous?
Because medicines control blood sugar while lifestyle changes take effect, and changes in diet can interact dangerously with them. Someone on insulin or sulfonylureas who sharply reduces carbohydrate without adjusting their medicine can have a severe low blood sugar, which can cause confusion, collapse or worse. Someone who stops medicine and sees their blood sugar rise may not notice until damage has begun. Any change in diabetes medicine must be made by the treating doctor. A coach who advises otherwise is putting lives at risk.
What should a legitimate diabetes course teach?
How diabetes works, how food affects blood sugar, how to plan meals around an Indian diet, how monitoring works, how to support weight loss safely, how medicines interact with diet, and how to work with doctors. It should teach the remission evidence accurately, including who is likely to benefit, and the risk of relapse. NNWA's six-week Diabetes and Metabolic Nutrition course costs 9,999 rupees and covers diet, activity and medication, and its two-month Diabetes Educator course at 16,999 rupees goes further into monitoring and patient education. Our guide to diabetes educator course fees compares the routes.
What are the red flags in diabetes reversal courses?
Promises that diet alone can reverse diabetes for everyone. Encouragement to reduce or stop medicines without a doctor. Guaranteed results or timelines, such as "off medicines in 30 days". Programmes built around a proprietary product, supplement or special food. Testimonials presented as typical results. Dismissal of doctors or medicines as the problem. And any suggestion that type 1 diabetes can be reversed through diet, which is false. A course with any of these features is teaching you to make claims that can harm people.
Is there a place for diabetes coaches in India?
Yes, a large one, when the role is honest. People with diabetes need far more support with diet, weight, activity and habits than a short doctor's appointment can provide. A trained coach or educator who works alongside the doctor, helps with sustainable weight loss, teaches the patient to understand their readings, and reports back, can make a real difference, including helping some patients reach remission under medical supervision. The legitimate role is support, not replacement.
How should remission be discussed with a client?
Honestly and carefully. Explain that remission is possible for some people, particularly with substantial weight loss early in the disease, and that it is not guaranteed. Make clear that any change in medicine must come from their doctor. Set goals around weight, blood sugar and wellbeing rather than around stopping medicines. Celebrate improvements in HbA1c whether or not remission is reached, because better blood sugar control reduces the risk of complications either way.
Having the remission conversation honestly
The aim is to leave the client hopeful and safe at once, which takes a particular order.
Say what is possible, and for whom
Remission happens mainly for people diagnosed recently who lose a substantial amount of weight. Say that plainly, rather than leaving it as a general promise.
Say what is not guaranteed
It is not certain and it is not permanent. Weight coming back can take it away again.
Put medicines back where they belong
Any change comes from the treating doctor. Make that a fixed rule of working with you, stated at the start rather than when it becomes awkward.
Set the goals around weight and readings
Weight, blood sugar and wellbeing are goals a client can act on. Stopping medicines is not a goal you are in a position to offer.
Count the improvement either way
Better HbA1c lowers the risk of complications whether or not remission is reached, so it is worth marking when it happens.
Plan the maintenance from the start
Remission can be lost, so regular checks and the habits that produced it carry on afterwards rather than stopping at a finish line.
Does weight loss matter more than the specific diet?
In the remission evidence, largely yes. The DiRECT results were strongly linked to the amount of weight lost rather than to a particular food. Low-calorie, low-carbohydrate and other approaches can all produce weight loss, and the best approach for a client is the one they can sustain. For Indian clients, this usually means adapting familiar foods, reducing refined carbohydrates and portion sizes, and increasing vegetables and protein. Our guide to the type 2 diabetes diet in India shows what that looks like.
What happens after remission?
Ongoing monitoring and support. Remission can be lost, particularly if weight returns, so people in remission still need regular blood sugar checks and continued healthy habits. Some programmes report long-term follow-up showing that many people who regained weight also lost remission. A good coach plans for maintenance from the start, rather than treating remission as the finish line.
What should you ask before paying for a diabetes course?
Who teaches it, and are they qualified in diabetes care? How does it describe remission, and does it cite the evidence accurately? What does it teach about medicines and working with doctors? Does it sell any product or supplement? Does it make promises about results? A course that is careful and specific on all of these is worth considering. One that leads with "reversal" and guarantees is not.
Who should take a diabetes course?
Nutritionists, dietitians, nurses, pharmacists and health coaches who work with people with diabetes and want to support them better. People with no health background should start with a nutrition foundation first. If you are interested in diabetes because you have it yourself, a course can help you understand your condition, but always make decisions about your treatment with your own doctor. The Indian diabetes risk calculator is a good way to start a conversation with family members at risk.
The honest summary
Type 2 diabetes remission is real for some people, mainly through substantial weight loss early in the disease, and it is not guaranteed or permanent. Legitimate courses teach that evidence, medical supervision and relapse risk. Courses that promise reversal for everyone, or encourage stopping medicines, are selling a claim that can hurt people, and are best avoided.