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Episode 97

How This Doctor Put Over 150 Patients into Diabetes Remission

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How This Doctor Put Over 150 Patients into Diabetes Remission

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About the host

Bret Scher, MD

Bret Scher, MD

Medical Director, Metabolic Mind and Baszucki Group

Bret Scher, MD

Medical Director, Metabolic Mind and Baszucki Group

Bret is the host of the Metabolic Mind YouTube channel and podcast. He is a board-certified cardiologist, lipidologist, and leading expert in therapeutic uses of metabolic therapies, including ketogenic diets. Prior to joining Baszucki Group, Bret was the medical director at DietDoctor.com, an online platform promoting improving metabolic health through low-carb nutrition, where he was a content creator and medical reviewer. Earlier in his career, he worked as a cardiologist in San Diego. Bret has spent most of his 20-year career as a preventive cardiologist, helping people improve their metabolic health and preventing heart disease using low-carb nutrition and lifestyle interventions. His deep passion for educating the public about the benefits of metabolic therapies grew from his experience with the prevailing medical teaching, which frequently misrepresents nutrition science and undervalues metabolic health. Bret received an MD from The Ohio State University College of Medicine and a BS in Biology from Stanford University. He grew up in San Diego and began competing in triathlons at an early age, which helped fuel his love of health and fitness. He continues to enjoy spending time outdoors mountain biking, swimming, hiking, and playing baseball with his two boys.
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About the guest

David Unwin, MD

David Unwin, MD

General Practitioner

David Unwin, MD

General Practitioner

Dr. David Unwin, MD, is an award-winning general practitioner (or family doctor) known for pioneering the low-carb approach in the UK. Through the years, Dr. Unwin has been highly recognized for his work within his field.
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Key Highlights

  • In a standard NHS primary-care practice with 10-minute visits, Dr. David Unwin has documented 151 drug-free remissions of type 2 diabetes—over a quarter of his clinic’s T2D population—using a low-carb approach, showing remission is achievable beyond “manage it forever.”
  • Unwin emphasizes auditing and publishing real-world outcomes (lipids, renal and liver function, cardiovascular risk) to address criticisms and guide practice—urging clinicians to collect baseline and follow-up data rather than rely solely on RCTs.
  • Continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) are powerful educational tools for type 2 diabetes and prediabetes; seeing food-specific glucose spikes accelerates behavior change and makes dietary counseling concrete.
  • Independent institutions and payers can accelerate adoption: the UK Royal College supports his work, and re/insurers (e.g., Swiss Re) are exploring low-carb + CGM models because of potential cost savings—creating incentives beyond pharma-driven care.
  • A growing focus on ultra-processed food addiction (led with psychologist Jen Unwin) targets a major barrier to adherence; with ~⅓ of people with T2D affected, recognition and tailored treatment could improve long-term success.

Transcript

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