Diabetes prevention is a possibility, if not a probability.
A plant-based diet improves beta-cell function, according to a study published in Nutrients.
Researchers from the Physicians Committee assessed insulin resistance after a meal for 75 overweight participants without diabetes for 16 weeks, half of whom followed a low-fat, vegan (plant based) diet. Those who consumed the vegan diet increased meal-stimulated insulin secretion and beta-cell glucose sensitivity and lowered their body weight, compared with the control group. Lower body fat increases beta-cells’ ability to regulate blood sugar. These results show that a vegan dietary intervention helps prevent diabetes.
Kahleova H, Tura A, Hill M, Holubkov R, Barnard ND. A plant-based dietary intervention improves beta-cell function and insulin resistance in overweight adults. A 16-week randomized clinical trial. Nutrients. Published online February 9, 2018.