A growing body of research indicates that reverting to Nepal’s traditional diet of lentils and rice may play a significant role in reversing the country’s escalating type 2 diabetes epidemic, health experts say. With western-style processed foods becoming increasingly ubiquitous and diabetes medication largely unaffordable for many Nepalis, doctors and researchers are advocating for a diet-based intervention rooted in local culinary habits.
In Nepal, approximately one in five adults over the age of 40 lives with type 2 diabetes, a condition marked by high blood sugar levels when the body either does not produce enough insulin or cannot effectively use the insulin it makes. Uncontrolled, the disease can lead to severe complications such as kidney failure, blindness and limb amputation, and often imposes a heavy socioeconomic burden on families.
A pilot study conducted in Kathmandu involving 70 long-term diabetes patients showed promising results when participants followed a calorie-controlled traditional diet. Nearly 43% of those on the program entered remission, demonstrating a marked improvement in their condition. A broader community trial involving 120 participants in rural and peri-urban areas showed that roughly half of those on the diet were free from diabetes after four months, accompanied by modest weight loss of about 4–5 kg on average.
The diet plan, developed by researchers including Professor Mike Lean of the University of Glasgow, centres on familiar, locally sourced foods such as dal bhat — a staple combination of rice and lentils — along with yogurt and fruit for breakfast. Participants initially followed an 850-calorie-a-day regimen for eight weeks before transitioning to a higher-calorie maintenance phase of the same traditional foods.
Crucially, the intervention is designed to be delivered at the community level without reliance on hospitals or specialised medical facilities. Female community health volunteers, who form the backbone of Nepal’s primary health infrastructure, play a key role in supporting adherence to the diet and in organising regular peer-support sessions.
Researchers stress that the approach does more than simply restrict calories; it promotes disciplined eating patterns that discourage frequent snacking and the consumption of high-fat, high-sugar processed foods. A preceding 2025 study found that 87% of packaged foods in Kathmandu exceed World Health Organization thresholds for unhealthy levels of sugar, salt and fat, underscoring the challenge posed by the proliferation of western junk foods.
Professor Lean, whose earlier work helped establish weight-loss nutrition programmes now standard in the UK’s National Health Service, believes that Asian populations may respond particularly well to such dietary interventions. Genetic predispositions mean individuals in South Asia need to lose comparatively less weight to achieve diabetes remission than those in Western countries, potentially making diet-centric strategies highly effective.
Although the expanded study originally secured UK government funding, it faced cuts and was revived with a £1.78 million grant from the Howard Foundation. The funding will also support community education campaigns to raise awareness about the drivers of diabetes and the benefits of traditional diets.
Officials from neighbouring countries grappling with similar increases in type 2 diabetes have expressed interest in the Nepalese model, suggesting potential regional applications if the results continue to prove positive.
