Scientists from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine found that plant-based diets improve blood sugar control, lead to weight loss, and improve cholesterol in people with type 2 diabetes
The research is published in the journal Clinical Nutrition and was conducted by Hana Kahleova et al.
More than 100 million Americans currently have diabetes or prediabetes.
Those with diabetes are two to four times more likely to die from heart disease than those who do not have diabetes.
In the study, the team reviewed nine clinical trials that assessed the effectiveness of vegan and vegetarian diets for diabetes patients.
They found that those who ate a plant-based diet lowered their cholesterol, lost weight, lowered HbA1c levels, and improved other cardiometabolic risk factors when compared to those who ate a nonvegetarian diet.
The team says the link between diabetes and heart disease is strong. Sixty to seventy percent of people who have type 2 diabetes die of heart disease.
The good news is that this study shows that the same simple prescription—eating a plant-based diet—can reduce our risk for heart problems and improve type 2 diabetes at the same time.
The study authors suggest that plant-based diets, which center on fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes, benefit both blood sugar control and heart health, because they are low in saturated fat, rich in phytochemicals, and high in fiber, and often rich in low-glycemic fruits and vegetables.
Previous studies have shown that a plant-based dietary pattern is linked to a lower risk of coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease death, and all-cause death.
If you care about nutrition, please read studies that cereal fiber may lower inflammation better than dietary fiber, and new vaccine made of common dietary supplements could prevent COVID-19.
For more information about nutrition, please see recent studies that diet soda drinkers have lower colon cancer death risk, and results showing avocados can support a heart-healthy diet.
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