Vegan Diet Improves Diabetes Markers in Overweight Adults

Main Digest

A plant-based diet improves beta-cell function and insulin sensitivity in overweight adults with no history of diabetes, according to a new study published in Nutrients by researchers from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.

Measuring the function of beta cells, which store and release insulin, can help assess future type 2 diabetes risk.

The study randomly assigned participants - who were overweight and had no history of diabetes - to an intervention or control group in a 1:1 ratio.

For 16 weeks, participants in the intervention group followed a low-fat vegan diet based on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes with no calorie limit.

The control group made no diet changes. Neither group changed exercise or medication routines.

Based on mathematical modeling, the researchers determined that those on a plant-based diet increased meal-stimulated insulin secretion and beta-cell glucose sensitivity, compared to those in the control group. The plant-based diet group also experienced a decrease in blood sugar levels both while fasting and during meal tests.

"The study has important implications for diabetes prevention," says lead study author Hana Kahleova, M.D., Ph.D. "Type 2 diabetes affects approximately 30 million Americans, with 84 million more suffering from prediabetes."

Physicians Committee researchers posit that because the intervention group experienced weight loss, including loss of body fat, their fasting insulin resistance decreased (i.e. improved), and their beta-cell function improved as a result.

"If nothing changes, our next generation - the first expected to live shorter lives than their parents - is in trouble. A third of young Americans are projected to develop diabetes in their lifetimes," says Dr. Kahleova. "Fortunately, this study adds to the growing evidence that food really is medicine and that eating a healthful plant-based diet can go a long way in preventing diabetes."

Previous studies have shown that plant-based diets not only have the power to prevent and reverse type 2 diabetes, but that they also lead to weight loss, improved cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, and less heart disease.

📢 Discover Related Topics


👍 Share This Information To:
𝕏.com Facebook Reddit

Page Information, Citing and Disclaimer

Disabled World is an independent disability community founded in 2004 to provide disability news and information to people with disabilities, seniors, their family and/or carers. You can connect with us on social media such as X.com and our Facebook page.

Cite This Page (APA): Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. (2018, February 12). Vegan Diet Improves Diabetes Markers in Overweight Adults. Disabled World. Retrieved April 26, 2024 from www.disabled-world.com/fitness/vegetarian/vegan-diet.php

Permalink: <a href="https://www.disabled-world.com/fitness/vegetarian/vegan-diet.php">Vegan Diet Improves Diabetes Markers in Overweight Adults</a>: Study shows a plant-based diet improves beta-cell function and insulin sensitivity in overweight adults with no history of diabetes.

Disabled World provides general information only. Materials presented are never meant to substitute for qualified professional medical care. Any 3rd party offering or advertising does not constitute an endorsement.