Study on the vegan diet for diabetes & obesity

Low-carbohydrate, high-fat and high-protein diets are recommended for weight loss and the treatment of diabetes. Therefore, this study led by David J. Jenkins investigated the effect of a low-carbohydrate vegan diet on diabetes as a potentially healthier and more environmentally sustainable alternative to low-carbohydrate diets.

The aim was to compare the effectiveness of a low-carbohydrate vegan diet with a moderate-carbohydrate vegetarian diet in terms of weight reduction and metabolic parameters in diabetes.

164 male and female participants with type 2 diabetes were randomly assigned to one of two diets: a low-carbohydrate vegan diet rich in canola oil and vegetable proteins or a vegetarian therapeutic diet, for 3 months, with both diets accounting for 60% of calorie requirements. Body weight, blood lipid levels, blood pressure and 7-day food records to estimate potential greenhouse gas emissions were recorded during the study. Cholesterol absorption tests were performed on 50 participants at the beginning and end of the study.

Both the low-carbohydrate vegan diet and the vegetarian diet resulted in a similar but significant reduction in body weight, glycated hemoglobin, systolic blood pressure and potential greenhouse gas emissions. However, there was only a significant difference between the treatment groups in potential greenhouse gas emissions in favor of the low-carbohydrate vegan diet.

Low-carbohydrate vegan and vegetarian diets reduced body weight, improved glycemic control and blood pressure. However, the more plant-based diet led to a greater potential reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.