Vegan Diet Shown to Improve Type 2 Diabetes Symptoms

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Vegan Diet Shown to Improve Type 2 Diabetes Symptoms

Although a difficult diet to follow faithfully, veganism has many health benefits. Not only are animal products avoided (meat, fish, poultry), but animal byproducts, such as honey and milk, are also not consumed. A recent study has shown that a vegan lifestyle may help sufferers of type 2 diabetes.¹

The study sought to investigate whether a low-fat vegan diet improves glycemic control and cardiovascular risk factors.
Ninety-nine individuals with type 2 diabetes were randomly assigned to either a low-fat vegan diet or a diet following the American Diabetes Association (ADA) guidelines. The ADA suggests eating a wide variety of foods, including vegetables, whole grains, fruits, nonfat dairy products, beans, and lean meats, poultry and fish.² "I hope this study will rekindle interest in using diet changes first, rather than prescription drugs," said Dr. Neal Barnard, president of the Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine.³
Participants in the study were evaluated at baseline and then at 22 weeks. Forty-three percent (21 of 49) of the vegan group and 26 percent (13 of 50) of the ADA group reduced diabetes medications. Within both groups, HbA_1c (A1C), a test used to monitor the glucose control of diabetics over time. decreased 0.96 percentage points in the vegan group vs. 0.56 points in the ADA group. Aside from participants who changed their medication, A1C fell 1.23 points in the vegan group compared with only 0.38 points in the ADA group. Body weight decreased 14.3 pounds in the vegan group vs. 6.83 pounds in the ADA group. LDL cholesterol fell 21.2 percent in the vegan group and 10.7 percent in the ADA group for individuals continued taking their lipid-lowering medications. And after adjustment for baseline values, urinary albumin reductions were greater in the vegan group (15.9 mg/24h) than in the ADA group (10.9 mg/24 h).¹
The researchers concluded that both a low-fat vegan diet and a diet based on ADA guidelines improved glycemic and lipid control in type 2 diabetic patients, but that these improvements were greater with a low-fat vegan diet.
References

Barnard, N, Cohen J, Jenkins D, et al. A low-fat vegan diet improves glycemic control and cardiovascular risk factors in a randomized clinical trial in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care 2006; 29: 1777-1783.
American Diabetes Association www.diabetes.org/nutrition-and-recipes/nutrition/diabetes-meal-plan.jsp.
"Study Finds Vegan Diet Reverses Diabetes Symptoms." All Headline News, July 27, 2006. www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7004352296.