Researchers from La Trobe University evaluated the Defeat Diabetes program over a 12-month period, examining whether education, behaviour change and a low-carbohydrate nutrition approach could improve outcomes for people living with type 2 diabetes.

Published in the journal Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice, the study followed 99 participants who completed the online program after being referred by their general practitioners.

The results showed 78 per cent of participants improved their blood glucose levels, while 42 per cent reduced their HbA1c, the primary measure used to diagnose diabetes, to below the diagnostic threshold.

Researchers also found that 18 per cent of participants achieved remission of type 2 diabetes without taking glucose-lowering medication. Among those taking diabetes medication when the study began, one in eight had discontinued all diabetes medication after 12 months.

Participants experienced broader health improvements beyond blood sugar management. On average, they lost five kilograms, lowered their blood pressure and recorded improvements in liver health markers associated with metabolic function.

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The study also reported better mental wellbeing, with participants feeling more confident managing their condition while experiencing lower levels of diabetes-related distress.

For participant Sladjana Cukanic, the diagnosis initially felt overwhelming, prompting her to search for alternatives to long-term medication.

“I didn’t want to be on medications from the start, but I knew something had to change. In just 7 months of following the Defeat Diabetes program, I’ve lost 9kg, my blood glucose has returned to normal, and I have more energy throughout the day. I feel more in control of my health than I ever have. I did it all by changing what I eat,” she said.

The findings add to growing evidence suggesting type 2 diabetes can, in some cases, be managed through intensive dietary intervention rather than medication alone.

Dr Ron Schweitzer, a general practitioner specialising in metabolic health and one of the clinicians involved in the study, said the results challenge traditional views about diabetes treatment.

“The old narrative – that type 2 diabetes is a one-way street toward more medication – simply doesn’t hold up,” he said.

“In my practice, I’ve seen the Defeat Diabetes app help patients achieve real, lasting improvements that outperform medication. Many have been able to reduce their prescriptions or stop taking anti-diabetes drugs entirely.”

He said the research provides strong clinical evidence supporting structured nutrition programs delivered through digital platforms.

“As the longest and most comprehensive real-world trial of a digitally delivered low-carbohydrate nutrition program in Australia, it makes a clear case: structured dietary support isn’t an alternative to standard diabetes care – it should be at the heart of it.”

Type 2 diabetes affects more than 1.7 million Australians and accounts for more than 2 per cent of the nation’s total disease burden. The condition contributes to heart disease, kidney disease, dementia and amputations, while costing the Australian healthcare system more than A$3 billion each year.

Professor Peter Brukner, sports and exercise physician and founder of Defeat Diabetes, believes the findings demonstrate the need to reconsider how the condition is managed.

“For too long, millions of Australians with type 2 diabetes have been left without hope. The standard approach has been to diagnose, medicate and monitor the decline. These results say otherwise. Nutrition therapy produces outcomes that medication alone rarely achieves and yet access to this kind of education remains out of reach for most people. That is not acceptable.”

“This study shows that, for many Australians, the right nutrition education and care can lead to clinically significant improvements in health outcomes that are sustained longer-term,” Professor Brukner said.

“More than three billion dollars leaves the Australian healthcare system every year because of diabetes. We cannot keep ignoring what the evidence is telling us.”

While the findings are encouraging, the researchers note the program was evaluated in a real-world setting involving participants referred by their doctors, highlighting the potential role digital health programs could play alongside conventional medical care in managing one of Australia’s fastest-growing chronic health conditions.

Featured photo by Andrej Lisakov