Researchers from George Washington University verified the health benefits of a vegetarian diet and the ADA-recommended diet to assess the potential of both
Researchers from George Washington University verified the health benefits of a vegetarian diet and the ADA-recommended diet to assess the potential of both categories in the management of Diabetes, kidney function, cholesterol levels and weight loss.
The study was conducted on 100 adults, type 2 diabetics, where half the group was asked to follow a low fat vegetarian diet and the rest, the ADA advised diet. The ADA-diet group who were over-weight was asked to cut down on the calorie intake by 500-1000 calories. Pure vegan diet was supplemented with B12 vitamins, which is deficient in a pure vegan diet.The findings showed that 43% of the people who adhered to a vegan diet for 22 weeks showed a decline in their reliance on diabetes management drugs, as against 26 percent of ADA dieters, who portrayed similar results. Additionally, those who followed the vegan diet lost almost 14 pounds as against 7 pounds in the ADA diet group.
Dr. Neal D. Barnard adjunct associate professor of medicine at the George Washington University and president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine said "The (vegan) diet appears remarkably effective, and all the side effects are good ones -- especially weight loss and lower cholesterol."
Researchers also feel that a vegetarian diet may be easy to practice for diabetics as there are not too many restrictions on calories, though it is always better to seek the advice of a specialist before making any changes in the diet.
