A new study suggests that people with type 1 diabetes might be able to lower their insulin use—and their insulin costs—by following a low-fat vegan diet.
This research was published in BMC Nutrition and comes from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.
Type 1 diabetes is a condition where the body can’t make enough insulin, a hormone that helps move sugar (glucose) from the blood into the cells for energy. People with type 1 diabetes must take insulin every day.
But some of them also develop insulin resistance. This means their cells don’t respond properly to insulin, so sugar stays in the blood instead of being used. Insulin resistance is often linked to a diet high in fat, which can interfere with how sugar gets into cells.
In this new study, researchers looked at whether a low-fat vegan diet could help reduce the need for insulin in people with type 1 diabetes. A vegan diet means no meat, dairy, or other animal products, and this version also kept fat intake very low. Unlike many diets, this one didn’t limit calories or carbohydrates.
The study is a follow-up analysis of a 2024 clinical trial. It compared two groups of people with type 1 diabetes. One group followed the low-fat vegan diet, and the other followed a portion-controlled diet. The researchers wanted to know if there would be any differences in how much insulin people needed—and how much it cost them.
They found that the people on the vegan diet were able to lower their insulin dose by 28%. That’s about 12 fewer units of insulin each day. In contrast, the group that followed the portion-controlled diet had no major changes in how much insulin they needed. The people in the vegan group also saw their insulin costs go down by 27%, or about $1.08 per day.
The researchers believe this happened because the vegan diet helped improve insulin sensitivity—how well the body responds to insulin. And this wasn’t the only benefit. The original 2024 study also found that people on the vegan diet lost an average of 11 pounds, improved their blood sugar control, lowered their cholesterol levels, and had better kidney function.
This research is especially important right now, because insulin prices in the U.S. have gone up sharply. According to the American Diabetes Association, insulin spending tripled in the past 10 years and reached $22.3 billion in 2022. The average cost of insulin has gone up by 24% from 2017 to 2022, even after adjusting for inflation.
Dr. Hana Kahleova, who led the study, says that a low-fat vegan diet could be a useful option for people with type 1 diabetes. By improving how the body uses insulin, it might help people need less of it—and save money in the process.
In summary, this study shows that what we eat can have a big impact on how much insulin we need and how much we spend on it. A low-fat vegan diet may help people with type 1 diabetes improve their health, reduce their dependence on insulin, and lower their costs—all without needing to count calories or carbs.
If you care about diabetes, please read studies about This drug combo can treat type 2 diabetes in the long run effectively and findings of Eating fewer than 3 meals a day may help reduce risk of type 2 diabetes and obesity.
For more about diabetes, please read studies about How to choosing the right fruits for type 2 diabetes and findings of New higher dose diabetes drug promises better blood sugar control and weight loss.
The study is published in The BMJ.
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