Switching from animal products to plant-based foods can help people with type 1 diabetes lose weight, according to recent research. While vegan alternatives are sometimes criticized as unhealthy due to being ultra-processed, many plant-based foods offer important health benefits.
A March 2024 study by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) showed that vegan diets reduced insulin requirements, improved insulin sensitivity, and enhanced cholesterol and kidney function in individuals with type 1 diabetes.
A new secondary analysis of the same study reveals that replacing meat and dairy—even products considered “unhealthy”—can support weight loss in this group.
“Whether you choose an orange and oatmeal or orange juice and toasted white bread for breakfast, both options are better for weight loss than eggs and cottage cheese,” said Hana Kahleova, director of clinical research at PCRM and lead author of the study.
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease where the body destroys insulin-producing cells, resulting in no insulin production. It is less common than type 2 diabetes, making up about 5-10% of cases, and currently has no known cure.
Details of the Study
The original 12-week clinical trial involved 58 participants with type 1 diabetes. They were randomly assigned to either a low-fat vegan diet with no calorie or carbohydrate limits, or a portion-controlled diet that reduced daily calories for overweight participants while maintaining stable carbohydrate intake.
In the new analysis, published in Frontiers in Nutrition, researchers examined dietary records using a plant-based diet index (PDI). This index measures how closely participants follow a vegan diet overall. It includes a “healthful” PDI (hPDI) representing healthy plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, legumes, oils, coffee, and tea. In contrast, the “unhealthful” PDI (uPDI) tracks intake of less healthy plant foods like fruit juices, sugary drinks, refined grains, potatoes, and sweets.
“Our findings show that replacing animal products with plant-based foods—even those categorized as ‘unhealthy’—helps people with type 1 diabetes lose weight,” Kahleova said.
Those on the vegan diet consumed more legumes, whole grains, and fruits but less vegetable oil and nuts. Among participants on portion-controlled diets, intake of unhealthful foods stayed mostly the same, except for a decrease in refined grains.
On average, participants following a plant-based diet lost 5.2 kilograms (11 pounds), linked to increased scores on the overall and healthful plant-based diet indexes. No significant weight change occurred in the portion-controlled group.
Broader Context and Market Impact
These results align with a separate PCRM study from March, which reported an average weight loss of 5.9 kilograms for vegan dieters compared to controls. That study also found that reducing processed and unprocessed animal products led to clinically significant weight loss.
The findings come amid rising obesity rates and increased use of weight-loss drugs like Ozempic. Users of GLP-1 drugs tend to avoid processed foods, refined grains, beef, and dairy, while consuming more fruits and vegetables.
Interestingly, plant-based meat and whole foods have experienced smaller declines in consumption compared to animal products. Some people develop a taste aversion to beef and dairy, a phenomenon known as the “Ozempic tongue,” altering how they perceive these foods.
Despite this, demand for meat remains, creating a strong opportunity for vegan food producers. Their products face fewer challenges from changing taste preferences and can better meet new consumer demands.
This latest study is the first to show the weight-loss benefits of a plant-based diet specifically for people with type 1 diabetes. It highlights a growing market for plant-based options tailored to this group.
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