New Poll: Most Americans Would Try a Plant-Based Diet to Fight Diabetes

WASHINGTON, D.C. — November is National Diabetes Month, and a new Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine/Morning Consult poll finds that most Americans, 65%, would consider adopting a low-fat, plant-based diet to help prevent type 2 diabetes or improve their blood sugar control if their doctor recommended it.

The poll, which was conducted among 2,203 U.S. adults, also found that among adults whose health care providers have spoken with them about type 2 diabetes, 57% are aware that high vegetable intake decreases their risk, and 34% are aware that high fruit intake decreases their risk. But just 21% of those polled are aware that a low-fat plant-based diet is beneficial for preventing or improving type 2 diabetes.

“The good news is that most Americans would be open to trying a plant-based diet to prevent and treat type 2 diabetes, and we have the resources to help them,” says Noah Praamsma, MS, RDN, a nutrition education coordinator with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, who co-leads the organization’s National Diabetes Program. “It’s also critical that we continue to educate more doctors and dietitians about prescribing a plant-based diet rich in fruits, vegetables, grains, and beans to their patients.”

The poll revealed one concerning trend: 50% of adults whose health care providers have spoken with them about type 2 diabetes are most likely to say a low-carb diet prevents or improves type 2 diabetes. But research shows that a low-carbohydrate diet based on animal products is associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes. In the study, those eating diets emphasizing animal protein and fat had a 35% higher risk of type 2 diabetes and a 39% higher risk if their diets also minimized whole grains.

Eating less fat allows insulin to work better, reducing blood sugar and addressing the root cause of diabetes. The body turns starchy and sugary foods into glucose for the muscle cells to use for fuel. Insulin, a hormone made in the pancreas, causes proteins to transport glucose into the cells. Most of the glucose gets taken up by the muscle and liver cells. People with type 2 diabetes generally have enough insulin. However, their cells are resistant to it because fat has accumulated in those cells, leaving too much glucose in the bloodstream where it can cause problems. Research shows that fat from animal products, fried foods, and oils leads to this unwanted fat in cells.

Decades of clinical research by the Physicians Committee has put a low-fat plant-based diet that does not limit carbohydrates to the test in people with type 2 diabetes. In one study, 99 individuals followed either a low-fat plant-based diet that did not limit calories or carbohydrates or the American Diabetes Association’s recommended diet for 22 weeks. Forty-three percent of the vegan group were able to reduce their diabetes medications compared with just 26% of the ADA group. Those following a vegan diet also had significantly greater improvements in body weight, HbA1c, and LDL cholesterol.

Another Physicians Committee study measured the intracellular fat found in liver and muscle cells. After following a low-fat, vegan diet for 16 weeks, fat in liver cells was reduced by 34.4%, and fat in muscle cells was reduced by 10.4%. These reductions correlated with lower insulin resistance, showing that the underlying cause of type 2 diabetes can be reversed.

When considering a plant-based diet, nearly half of adults polled said having a place online to refer to for recipes and/or receiving consistent guidance from a dietitian would be very helpful for the success of the diet.

The Physicians Committee offers the National Diabetes Program, a free online support group in which participants learn from doctors and dietitians how diet changes can address the root cause of type 2 diabetes; what foods to focus on and which foods to avoid; simple and delicious meal ideas; and tips for grocery shopping, eating out, and even tackling common nutrition questions. The next free program will run on Tuesdays from Dec. 2, 2025, to Feb. 10, 2026, at 12 p.m. ET and will include informational presentations, interactive polls, recipe ideas, Q&A with registered dietitians, and success stories. The program will also include a comprehensive on-demand 15-video series available to watch at your own pace.

This month, the Physicians Committee’s Food for Life plant-based nutrition and cooking class program—developed by doctors and dietitians—is offering classes across the United States to help people prevent, improve, and, in some cases, reverse type 2 diabetes with a plant-based diet rich in fruits, vegetables, grains, and beans.