Yemen's el-tayebat diet prompts diabetics to skip meds, alarmed doctors
A surge of diabetes patients in Taiz, Yemen, are stopping prescribed medications to follow the controversial el-tayebat diet, promoted online by former Egyptian doctor Diaa el-Awadi. Doctors warn there is no scientific basis for the diet, and abruptly abandoning insulin or pills can trigger life-threatening complications like diabetic ketoacidosis. The diet’s spread is fueled by social media, economic hardship, and distrust of conventional medicine, while nutritionists emphasize the need for individualized, medically supervised care rather than restrictive, unproven regimens.