Contrary to popular perception, it is the steak not the dessert that can predispose you to diabetes
If you are strictly non-vegetarian, your chances of keeping diabetes at bay are less.
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. The study has been done 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.
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
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. There are over 70 million diabetics in India by 2017 estimates.
Physicians Committee researchers found 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. 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,” says Dr. Kahleova.
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.
