Application of Meal Replacement in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

Medical nutrition therapy (MNT) is the foundation of standardized diabetes management.According to guidelines, healthcare providers should customize diet plans to align with patients' personal and cultural values, preferences, and treatment goals to ensure optimal adherence and benefits.Nevertheless, due to the limited medical resources, many patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) could not access to the guidance of MNT.Meal replacement (MR) provides a practical solution for portion control and caloric restriction.It is a commercial prepackaged selection of foods, which typically consists of a combination of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins with added vitamins and minerals, in the form of milkshakes, nutrition bars, or soup.MR is commonly utilized to replace one or two main meals (partial meal replacement, PMR), or all meals (total meal replacement, TMR) per day.It has been demonstrated to improve dietary quality, weight management, and glycemic control of patients with T2DM [1-4].