a vegan diet improves beta cell function and insulin sensitivity in overweight adults without a history of diabetes, according to results of a study published in the medical journal Nutrients. This type of diet could therefore be effective in combating this chronic disease.
The researchers randomly assigned overweight participants with no history of diabetes for 16 weeks to a low-fat vegan diet, based on fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes, but with no calorie limit. The control group made no diet change. And none of the volunteers changed their sports habits and practices or their medication prescriptions.
The vegan diet reduces the risk of diabetes
Based on mathematical modeling, the researchers determined that participants who followed a vegan diet increased meal-stimulated insulin secretion and beta cell glucose sensitivity compared to those in the control group. They also experienced a decrease in blood sugar both during the fast and during the meal tests. Measuring the function of beta cells, which store and release insulin, can help assess future risk of Type 2 diabetes.
The researchers believe that because the intervention group lost weight, including body fat, their fasting insulin resistance decreased and improved beta function.
“The study has important implications for the prevention of diabetes,” says Hana Kahleova, author of the study. “Type 2 diabetes affects approximately 30 million Americans, and 84 million people have prediabetes.”
“If nothing changes, our next generation, the first to live shorter lives than their parents, is struggling and a third of young Americans will develop diabetes in their lifetime,” says Dr. Kahleova. “Fortunately, this study adds evidence that diet really is a cure and that eating a healthy diet of fruits and vegetables can go a long way in preventing diabetes.”
Previous studies have shown that vegan diets not only have the power to prevent and reverse type 2 diabetes, but also lead to weight loss, improved cholesterol, a decrease in arterial pressure and a decrease in heart disease.
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