(NAPSI)—If you or someone you know has type 2 diabetes, you know how hard it can be to lose weight, especially for people on insulin—but it can be made easier. In a new study of a protein-rich meal replacement, people with type 2 diabetes were able to lose weight and lower their daily insulin doses. The meal replacement, called Almased, is made from fermented soy, yogurt and honey and contains no artificial flavors, fillers, added sugars or preservatives.

Type 2 is the most common form of diabetes and is strongly associated with weight gain. Nearly six in 10 Americans with type 2 diabetes are obese and nearly all of the rest are overweight. Lowering weight and adopting healthy eating and exercise habits are proven ways to improve diabetes control.

“The patients in our study lost about 9 percent of their body weight in 12 weeks and were able to lower their daily insulin doses by more than half,” said Stephan Martin, M.D., a diabetes specialist who conducted the small, three-month study and shared results at this year’s American Diabetes Association yearly meeting.

The study included 22 obese patients with type 2 diabetes who required high daily insulin doses. In the first week, they replaced all three meals with Almased. In the next three weeks, they added back a high-protein lunch. From week five to the end of the study, they only replaced dinner. Dr. Martin noted that it was easy for patients to incorporate Almased into their daily lives.

Dr. Martin and his team checked in on participants a year and a half after the study ended. Most maintained improvements in weight and blood sugar control. Four patients continued to use Almased on their own and lost more weight and had more improvements in their sugar control. Two were able to stop insulin injections completely. Dr. Martin commented that “This shows how patients who are motivated and use tools like Almased can make a real change to their weight and their diabetes.”

Silke Ullmann, a registered dietitian who works at Almased, USA, adds, “We are committed to studying Almased and providing support to people with type 2 diabetes so they can take control of their health.”

The website, www.Almased.com, provides nutritional advice, meal plans and other information about how to use the product. Another study with more than 300 patients is under way to confirm these findings. Both studies are sponsored by Almased-Wellness-GmbH Germany.

On the Net:North American Precis Syndicate, Inc.(NAPSI)