Low-Fat Vegan Diet Improves Metabolic Health in T2D

A 16-week low-fat vegan diet was associated with significant reductions in body weight, visceral fat, liver fat, and advanced glycation end products (AGEs), alongside improved insulin sensitivity and beta-cell function in adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D). In this US study of 25 participants, mean body weight decreased by 6.0 kg (6.6%), primarily due to a 4.2 kg reduction in fat mass, while visceral fat volume declined by 290 cm³. Hepatocellular lipids decreased by 33.0%, and the AGE score also fell significantly. Insulin resistance, measured by the HOMA-IR index, improved, while postprandial insulin sensitivity increased. Several measures of beta-cell function, including glucose sensitivity, rate sensitivity, and potentiation factor, also improved. These findings suggest that an ad libitum low-fat plant-based diet may help improve metabolic health in patients with T2D by reducing ectopic fat accumulation, enhancing insulin sensitivity, and supporting beta-cell function. Source: https://drc.bmj.com/