New Delhi: A low-fat vegan diet rich in fruits, vegetables, grains, and beans reduces insulin needs and improves insulin sensitivity and glycemic control in people with type 1 diabetes, according to a first-of-its-kind study by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine published in Clinical Diabetes.
The study also found that a vegan diet led to improvements in cholesterol levels, kidney function, and weight. Glycemic control, or glucose levels in the blood serum, was also observed to get better. The improvements were, in turn, found to correspond to lowering the risk of heart disease in these patients.
Type 1 diabetes is thought to be caused by an autoimmune reaction that destroys the beta cells in the pancreas that make insulin. Insulin is a hormone that helps move glucose (sugar) from the blood into muscle and liver cells to be used as energy. People with type 1 diabetes must take insulin because their body doesn’t produce enough.
Some people with type 1 diabetes may also have insulin resistance, which is a condition in which cells don’t respond well to insulin and glucose remains in the blood. Insulin resistance is strongly influenced by dietary fat, which can inhibit glucose from entering the cells. Over time, high blood glucose levels can lead to health complications.
During the study period of 12 weeks, the participants on the low-fat vegan diet were found to require 28 per cent lesser insulin, with their body's response or sensitivity to insulin improving by 127 per cent. The researchers observed these effects to be associated with body weight, which fell by about five kilogrammes on an average. The body weight of individuals in the portion-controlled group, on the other hand, changed non-significantly.
They also associated the improved insulin sensitivity with increased carbohydrate and fibre intake. The results support previous research that links a lower fat and protein intake with reduced insulin requirements and improved sensitivity in people with Type 1 diabetes, the researchers said.
The team further linked these improvements to lowering cardiovascular risks of disease and death, known to be higher in Type 1 diabetic patients. They found the participants' reduced reliance on external insulin to correspond to a nine per cent lowered cardiovascular risk.
In the vegan group, total cholesterol decreased by 32.3 mg/dL compared to 10.9 mg/dL in the portion-controlled group. LDL cholesterol decreased by approximately 18.6 mg/dL in the vegan group and did not change significantly in the portion-controlled group.
Type 1 diabetes is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and death. In this study, the reduction in insulin use on the vegan diet corresponds to a 9% reduction in cardiovascular risk; the decrease in HbA1c corresponds to a 12% and 8.8-12% reduced risk of heart attack and cardiovascular disease, respectively; and the reduction in LDL cholesterol corresponds to an approximate 20% reduced risk for a major cardiac event, including heart attack and stroke.
Approximately 40,000 new cases of type 1 diabetes are diagnosed each year. Recent analyses project up to a 107% increase in prevalence of type 1 diabetes by 2040. The annual cost of type 1 diabetes care increased by more than 50% from 2012 and 2016, primarily due to rising costs of insulin and diabetes monitoring equipment.
“With the cost of insulin remaining a concern for many, our groundbreaking research shows that a low-fat vegan diet that doesn’t restrict carbs may be the prescription for reducing insulin needs, managing blood sugar levels, and improving heart health in people with type 1 diabetes,” said Hana Kahleova, MD, PhD, the lead author of the study and director of clinical research at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.
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