A return to traditional Nepali foods could help tackle the country’s growing type 2 diabetes epidemic, researchers say. In Nepal, where one in five people over 40 has diabetes and medication is often unaffordable, doctors are testing whether simple dietary changes can reverse the condition. Early studies suggest that traditional meals of lentils and rice, known as dal bhat, can produce striking results.
A pilot study in Kathmandu found that 43% of 70 patients with long-standing diabetes entered remission after following a calorie-controlled traditional diet. A larger community trial involving 120 people has shown similar outcomes, with around half free from diabetes after four months. Mike Lean from University of Glasgow said participants lost only 4–5kg on average, far less than typically required in the UK. He said people of south Asian background develop diabetes at lower weights but also need to lose less to reverse it.
The programme uses cheap, local foods and relies on community support rather than hospitals. Participants follow an 850-calorie daily plan for eight weeks before moving to a maintenance diet. Health workers provide basic equipment and group support, aiming to avoid reliance on doctors. Researchers blame soaring diabetes rates on western processed foods, which dominate shops in cities such as Kathmandu, and on falling activity levels.
The project, run with Dhulikhel Hospital, hopes to show that traditional diets can also prevent diabetes in high-risk groups. Funded by the Howard Foundation after UK government cuts, the team believes the approach could work across south Asia. Lean said the solution was simple but powerful, arguing it was more effective than medication and offered a sustainable way to curb diabetes in low-income settings.
