A low-fat vegan diet can reduce insulin requirements and improve insulin sensitivity and blood sugar levels in type 1 diabetes. This groundbreaking finding could also have implications for future treatment strategies.
A research team led by Dr. Hana Kahleova from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine in Washington (USA) has examined whether nutritional interventions in the form of a low-fat vegan diet with lots of fruit, vegetables, grains and beans have beneficial effects on diabetes – with promising results. The study results were published in “Clinical Diabetes”.
Do nutritional interventions help?
There is currently no cure for type 1 diabetes and those affected must take insulin for life – usually by injection. The disease is also associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and early death, the researchers report.
In the 12-week randomized clinical trial, the team examined 58 adults with type 1 diabetes to see whether a low-fat vegan diet could potentially contribute to therapy.
In particular, blood sugar levels, insulin requirements and insulin sensitivity were the focus of interest.
Low-fat diet tested
Participants were randomly assigned to either a low-fat vegan group with no calorie restrictions or a portion control group with reduced calorie intake and a constant carbohydrate intake.
For those in the low-fat vegan diet group, the amount of insulin they needed to consume fell by 28 percent and insulin sensitivity (how well the body responds to insulin) increased by 127 percent, the research team said.
Body weight significantly reduced
A significant reduction in body weight was also noticeable in the vegan group, while there was no significant change in body weight in the other group, the experts report.
In addition, total cholesterol levels fell by 32.3 mg/dl in the vegan group, compared to 10.9 mg/dl in the controlled diet group. The “unhealthy” LDL cholesterol fell by around 18.6 mg/dl in the vegan group and did not change significantly in the other group, the researchers continued.
Reducing cardiovascular risk
Reducing insulin consumption with a vegan diet results in a nine percent reduction in cardiovascular risk, the experts explain.
Lowering blood sugar (HbA1c) results in a 12 percent lower risk of a heart attack and an 8.8 to 12 percent reduced risk of cardiovascular disease.
Lowering LDL cholesterol reduces the risk of major cardiovascular events by 20 percent, the research team says.
Overall, a low-fat vegan diet that doesn’t restrict carbohydrate intake could be the recipe for lowering insulin needs, regulating blood sugar levels and improving heart health in people with type 1 diabetes, concludes Dr. Kahleova together. Further, larger studies are now required to verify the results. (fp)