Vegan Diet Effective Treatment for Diabetes in PCRM Study

A low-fat vegan diet offers a remarkably effective way to treat type 2 diabetes, according to a recently completed study conducted by PCRM and funded by the National Institutes of Health. On June 9, PCRM President Neal Barnard, M.D., will present the encouraging results at the American Diabetes Association (ADA) 66th Scientific Sessions in Washington, D.C. The results will also be published in a leading medical journal. 

Diabetes has emerged as a major threat to public health in recent years. The number of Americans with type 2 diabetes has doubled since the mid-1980s, to an estimated 20 million people. The disease is a leading cause of kidney failure, blindness, and nontraumatic amputation.

Results of the recent study confirm the findings of PCRM’s 1999 pilot study, which was funded by the Diabetes Action and Research Education Foundation and conducted with Georgetown University.

PCRM’s pilot study, which also compared a high-fiber, low-fat, vegan diet with the more commonly used ADA diet, showed that a vegan diet rich in unrefined whole grains, beans, fruits, and vegetables significantly lowered blood sugar levels and reduced body weight. In the pilot trial, fasting blood sugars decreased 59 percent more in the vegan group than in the ADA group. The vegan group needed less medication to control their blood sugars, but the ADA group needed just as much medicine as before. While the participants in the ADA group lost 8 pounds, on average, the participants in the vegan group lost nearly 16 pounds in just 12 weeks. Cholesterol levels also dropped more substantially in the vegan group.

PCRM’s newest diabetes study included 99 participants who were divided into an ADA diet group and a vegan diet group. The groups participated in a 22-week diet intervention and a yearlong follow-up period. They were instructed throughout the trial period on how to follow their dietary requirements and were counseled on cooking, shopping, and dealing with holidays.

PCRM Online, June 2006

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