Low-Fat Vegan Diet vs. Conventional Diabetes Diet: A 74-Week Clinical Trial for Type 2 Diabetes

Comparing Vegan and Conventional Diabetes Diets for Type 2 Diabetes
Summary of research by Neal D Barnard, Joshua Cohen, David JA Jenkins et al.

This 2009 clinical trial compared a low-fat vegan diet to the official 2003 American Diabetes Association (ADA) diet recommendations in 99 people with type 2 diabetes. The participants were randomly assigned to follow either diet for 74 weeks. Outcomes tracked included:

• Body weight

• Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c, reflects blood sugar control)

• Fasting blood sugar

• Blood lipids like cholesterol

The major findings were:

• Both groups lost substantial weight, with no significant diet difference. Weight loss was correlated with improved HbA1c.

• In analyses accounting for medication changes, HbA1c reduction was greater in the vegan group, indicating better blood sugar control.

• Total and LDL cholesterol decreased more on the vegan diet.

• Between-group differences in triglycerides, blood pressure, and other outcomes were not significant.

In summary, this well-controlled study suggests that both a low-fat vegan diet and the official ADA diet guidance lead to major weight loss and cardiac risk factor reduction in type 2 diabetes. But the vegan diet conferred greater improvements in long-term blood sugar control and cholesterol.

Barnard, N. D., Cohen, J., Jenkins, D. J. A., Turner-McGrievy, G., Gloede, L., Green, A., & Ferdowsian, H. (2009). "A low-fat vegan diet and a conventional diabetes diet in the treatment of type 2 diabetes: a randomized, controlled, 74-wk clinical trial." The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 89(5), 1588S-1596S. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.2009.26736H. PMID: 19339401. PMCID: PMC2677007. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2677007/