Being Vegan isn’t such a pain
According to a new study published in May 2015, a low-fat vegan diet can reduce the pain associated with diabetic neuropathy (nerve pain frequently experienced by diabetics). In this pilot study, diabetics were either assigned to a low-fat vegan diet or to a control group with no diet change. Everyone was given a vitamin B12 supplement for the 20 weeks of the study and at the end, the vegan group achieved improved blood-sugar control with some patients needing to have their medication reduced. They also experienced healthy weight-loss, a decrease in cholesterol levels and greater reduction of pain compared to the control group.
If you have diabetes or know someone who does, see Viva!Health’s D-Diet campaign aimed at treating diabetes through a vegan diet, for more information and to get D-Diet materials go to Diabetes or call the office on 0117 944 1000.
Bunner AE et al., 2015. A dietary intervention for chronic diabetic neuropathy pain: a randomized controlled pilot study. Nutrition & Diabetes. 5:e158.
About the author
Dr. Justine Butler
Justine joined Viva! in 2005 after graduating from Bristol University with a PhD in molecular biology. After working as a campaigner, then researcher and writer, she is now Viva!’s head of research and her work focuses on animals, the environment and health. Justine’s scientific training helps her research and write both in-depth scientific reports, such as White Lies and the Meat Report, as well as easy-to-read factsheets and myth-busting articles for consumer magazines and updates on the latest research. Justine also recently wrote the Vegan for the Planet guide for Viva!’s Vegan Now campaign.
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