Type 2 diabetes is a growing epidemic both in the United States and around the world. Nearly 10 percent of American adults have type 2 diabetes, and 25 percent have prediabetes; these numbers are only continuing to rise, with a shocking one-third of U.S. adults projected to have diabetes by 2050. (1, 2, 3)

While type 2 diabetes was once considered a “disease of affluence,” its numbers are exploding in middle- and low-income countries, mainly due to the global spread of the nutrient-poor Western diet. (4) Type 2 diabetes is also no longer limited to middle-aged and older adults; children and young people are increasingly being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, significantly increasing their risks of many other chronic diseases throughout their lifespans.

The conventional medicine approach for treating type 2 diabetes, long centered around a “wait and see” mentality and drug therapy, isn’t working to stem the tide of these epidemic numbers, nor are preventive strategies emphasized.