A Vegetarian Diet can beat T2 Diabetes !

In the papers today, what do you think ?

http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/185165/Veggie-diet-better-than-drugs-to-beat-diabetes

I think it is dangerous nonsense:

“There’s no portion control or strenuous exercise routines. We tell patients they can eat as much as they want – and as much whole wheat pasta, whole grains, and brown rice as they want – as long as they’re not eating ­animal products or lots of added oils. The diet is simple and clear, and it’s easier than ever to follow.

“Plus, the ‘side effects’ are all good. Weight comes down, blood pressure improves, and blood pressure and cholesterol drop. Best of all, low-fat, vegan diets provide freedom from the tedious routines of taking medications and injecting insulin."


Any way of eating, be it vegan, vegetarian or omniverous, has the potential to be garbage. It is what you eat on a meal to meal basis that matters for diabetes management. I am controlling my diabetes by doing the exact opposite of that stated in quotes. The fact that I am vegetarian is irrelevant.

It does make you wonder doesn't it ! How do they get away with it ? They are paid a lot of money presumably for these "scientific studies". Can anyone publish ? Should there not be an independent body ( perhaps there is ) similar to "advertising standards" ?

the guy is a muppet
http://www.pcrm.org/media/good-medicine/2004/springsummer/the-controversy-over-dr-atkins-health

They make the recommendation not to test after eating, how that lead to good control? Would it be that eating such a carb loaded diet produce very high postprandial numbers. Eliminating the things that don't raise blood glucose fats and meat does no make the diabetic diet easier. Plus fats are essential for good health your not doing anything good to your body limiting fats and replacing them with non essential carbohydrates.

Somebody please tell me that this article is a wind up!!

I see...Eat as much wholegrain starchy crap as you like and all will be good?? Yeah right! The same as advising someone that to prevent cirrhosis of the liver-drink as much booze as they like as long as they avoid the Ice cubes and slice of lemon!!

mo1905 wrote:It does make you wonder doesn't it ! How do they get away with it ? They are paid a lot of money presumably for these "scientific studies". Can anyone publish ? Should there not be an independent body ( perhaps there is ) similar to "advertising standards" ?

Neal Barnard is the founder and president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM).

We're all doomed!

“The reality is that over the years, and around the world we have killed literally millions of diabetics by advising them to eat a high-carb diet and avoid fats. Only now is it being recognised that previous advice was and remains useless, dangerous and scientifically illiterate"

Doctor Malcolm Kendrick. A man with his head screwed on and refuses to follow the failed dogma.

j wrote:the guy is a muppet
http://www.pcrm.org/media/good-medicine/2004/springsummer/the-controversy-over-dr-atkins-health

 I saw that link mentioned a few years ago at the other place in a thread entitled is a "Atkins Diet Dangerous" along with  http://www.atkinsexposed.org/atkins/1/Atkins.htm , the usual suspects all with an agenda against LC were among the contributors to the thread.

Ya gotta larf !

Vegetarian diets and glycemic control in diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Yoko Yokoyama1, Neal D. Barnard2,3, Susan M. Levin3, Mitsuhiro Watanabe4,5

1Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University, 5322 Endo, Fujisawa, Kanagawa, 252-0882, Japan; 2Department of Medicine, The George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, DC, USA; 3Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, Washington, DC, USA; 4Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Keio University, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan; 5Health Science Laboratory, Graduate School of Media and Governance, Faculty of Environment and Information Studies, Keio University, 5322 Endo, Fujisawa, Kanagawa, 252-0882, Japan
Correspondence to: Yoko Yokoyama. Project Assistant Professor, Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University, 5322 Endo, Fujisawa, Kanagawa, 252-0882, Japan. Email: yyokoyama-kyt@umin.ac.jp.

Introduction: Previous studies have suggested an association between vegetarian diets and improvements in glycemic control in diabetes, although this relationship is not well established. No meta-analysis of these studies has been performed.

Methods: To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled clinical trials examining the association between vegetarian diets and glycemic control in type 2 diabetes. Data source: The electronic databases Medline, Web of Science, Excerpta Medica Database (EMBASE), and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched for articles published in any language through December 9, 2013. Study selection: The following criteria were used for study inclusion: (I) age of participants >20 years; (II) vegetarian diet as intervention; (III) mean difference in hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and/or fasting blood glucose levels used as outcomes; and (IV) controlled trials, duration ≥4 weeks. Exclusion criteria were: (I) not an original investigation; (II) duplicate samples; (III) diabetes other than type 2; (IV) multiple interventions; and (V) uncontrolled studies. Data extraction and synthesis: The data collected included study design, baseline population characteristics, dietary data, and outcomes. Data were pooled using a random-effects model. Main outcomes and measures: Differences in HbA1c and fasting blood glucose levels associated with vegetarian diets were assessed.

Results: Of 477 studies identified, six met the inclusion criteria (n=255, mean age 42.5 years). Consumption of vegetarian diets was associated with a significant reduction in HbA1c [−0.39 percentage point; 95% confidence interval (CI), −0.62 to −0.15; P=0.001; I2=3.0; P for heterogeneity =0.389], and a non-significant reduction in fasting blood glucose concentration (−0.36 mmol/L; 95% CI, −1.04 to 0.32; P=0.301; I2=0; P for heterogeneity =0.710), compared with consumption of comparator diets.

Conclusions: Consumption of vegetarian diets is associated with improved glycemic control in type 2 diabetes. PROSPERO registration number is CRD42013004370.

Keywords: Type 2 diabetes; diet; vegan; vegetarian; plant-based diets

Submitted Sep 06, 2014. Accepted for publication Oct 08, 2014.

Link to the above here http://www.thecdt.org/article/view/4977/5858

So, "Consumption of vegetarian diets was associated with a significant reduction in HbA1c 0.39"

Are they having a larf or what ? My low carb high fat diet reduced my HbA1c 6 full points. 0.39 is way less than the average HbA1c typical blood test accuracy and way beyond what any BG meter will pick up. "significant reduction" oh dear.

Bloody hell! Even a couple of Metformin tablets per day yields better results than that in most cases!

If the majority of us here were to be satisfied with a drop of 0.39 then most of us would be sporting an HbA1c in double figures still!

I thought they were claiming the vegan diets could remove the tedious routine of taking medication and injecting insulin, given the measly reduction in A1c that's not going to happen

Denise Minger discussed the vegan/vegetarian versions of HCLF at this year's AHS. Why anyone would be tempted to eat the kind of diet she describes is beyond me. And people say LCHF is boring

There's vegetarian, and there's vegetarian. In the film 'raw for 30 days' several saw their diabetes reverse, even a type 1. But raw vegan is nothing like grain-heavy vegetarian.

AliB wrote:There's vegetarian, and there's vegetarian.  In the film 'raw for 30 days' several saw their diabetes reverse, even a type 1.  But raw vegan is nothing like grain-heavy vegetarian.

A LC vegetarian diet has proved to be a good way of controlling diabetes by many who have chosen that route, but as Ali says a grain heavy diet is a different animal.

NHS choices wasn't impressed with the Barnard diet either

"Vegetable diet will beat diabetes: Meat-free lifestyle cures killer disease," is the typically overblown headline in the Daily Express.
But researchers actually found a vegetarian diet led to a quite modest fall in only one measure of blood glucose called HbA1C, a measure of blood glucose control.

The paper reports on a systematic review which combined the results of six trials that involved 255 people with type 2 diabetes. They examined whether vegetarian or vegan diets improved blood glucose control compared with a control diet.
Overall, the pooled results of five of these trials found a vegetarian or vegan diet reduced HbA1c by 0.39%. There was no significant effect on fasting glucose levels, an assessment of how efficiently the body can process glucose in the short term.
This slight reduction in HbA1c is no cure. As the researchers themselves pointed out, the reduction is less than you would expect if a patient was being treated with the drug of choice for type 2 diabetes, metformin.
This review also has various important limitations, including the variable design and quality of the six trials included. So, it does not prove that a vegetarian or vegan diet is better for a person with type 2 diabetes, and any media claims of a "cure" for the condition are entirely baseless.

http://www.nhs.uk/news/2014/11November/Pages/Vegetarian-diet-beneficial-for-people-with-diabetes.aspx