Vegan diet benefits those with type 1 diabetes
We know that if you have type 2 diabetes, losing weight can put your diabetes into remission and may even mean coming off medication completely – a life-changing possibility. This is even more likely if you lose the weight nearer to your diagnosis and quickly, according to Diabetes UK.
Although getting type 1 diabetes has nothing to do with weight, they say, losing any extra weight will help you reduce your risk of complications and could mean injecting less insulin.
According to a first-of-its-kind study by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a low-fat vegan diet rich in fruit, vegetables, wholegrains and pulses helped reduce insulin needs and improved both insulin sensitivity and glycaemic control in people with type 1 diabetes.
They found that over 12 weeks, those on the vegan diet lost an average of 5.2 kilograms (11.5 pounds) and reduced their total daily insulin dose by 28 per cent (12.1 units a day). These results are in line with previous studies on type 2 diabetes showing that plant-based diets increase insulin sensitivity, reduce the need for diabetes medications and improve blood sugar control.
Kahleova H, Znayenko-Miller T, Smith K et al. 2024. Effect of a dietary intervention on insulin requirements and glycemic control in type 1 diabetes: a 12-week randomized clinical trial. Clinical Diabetes. cd230086.
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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