Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2022 Mar 27;14(7):1400.
doi: 10.3390/nu14071400.

Non-Pharmacological Treatments for Insulin Resistance: Effective Intervention of Plant-Based Diets-A Critical Review

Affiliations
Review

Non-Pharmacological Treatments for Insulin Resistance: Effective Intervention of Plant-Based Diets-A Critical Review

Michalina Banaszak et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Plant-based diets are becoming increasingly popular. Vegetarian diets are better for the environment and exhibit health benefits. A correctly balanced plant-based diet is appropriate at every stage of life. Compared to omnivores, vegetarians consume more fruits and vegetables, more fibre, vitamins C and E, magnesium and less saturated fats. In general, they have better nutrition knowledge, and they are slimmer, healthier and live longer than omnivores. It also seems that following a plant-based diet prevents the onset of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, obesity and some cancers. Food intake has a key influence on insulin resistance. Consumption of calorie-rich and highly processed foods, meats and sweetened beverages is a characteristic element of Western diets. They promote and elevate insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. In contrast, intake of pulses and exclusion of meats as well as animal products bring significant benefits to vegetarian diets. According to studies, vegetarians and vegans have better blood parameters, including better glucose, insulin, total cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol levels. Their homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) test results are also better. More plant-based foods and fewer animal foods in a diet result in lower insulin resistance and a lower risk of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of plant-based diets on insulin resistance. In this review, we focused on presenting the positive effects of vegetarian and vegan diets on insulin resistance while showing possible clinical applications of plant-based diets in the treatment and prevention of modern-age diseases. Current and reliable publications meeting the requirements of Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM) were taken into account in this review.

Keywords: insulin resistance; insulin sensitivity; vegan diet; vegetarian diet.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Full search strategy.

Similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Wilcox G. Insulin and Insulin Resistance. Clin. Biochem. Rev. 2005;26:19–39. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Reaven G. The Metabolic Syndrome or the Insulin Resistance Syndrome? Different Names, Different Concepts, and Different Goals. Endocrinol. Metab. Clin. N. Am. 2004;33:283–303. doi: 10.1016/j.ecl.2004.03.002. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Cefalu W.T. Insulin Resistance: Cellular and Clinical Concepts. Exp. Biol. Med. 2001;226:13–26. doi: 10.1177/153537020122600103. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Brown A.E., Walker M. Genetics of Insulin Resistance and the Metabolic Syndrome. Curr. Cardiol. Rep. 2016;18:1–8. doi: 10.1007/s11886-016-0755-4. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Freeman A.M., Pennings N. Insulin Resistance. StatPearls; Treasure Island, FL, USA: 2021.