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Review
. 2025;21(9):e020724231487.
doi: 10.2174/0115733998313114240611102335.

The Effect of a Vegan Diet on the Health Indicators and Outcomes of Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Malak S Alharbi  1 , Waleed I Albalawi  1 , Faisal F Jumah  1 , Abdulrhman M Al-Qarni  1 , Meshari S Alashjaee  1 , Ahmed Aljabri  2   3 , Mohammed M H Al-Gayyar  4   5
Affiliations
Review

The Effect of a Vegan Diet on the Health Indicators and Outcomes of Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Malak S Alharbi et al. Curr Diabetes Rev. 2025.

Abstract

Introduction: Recently, there has been a notable increase in interest in various forms of vegetarianism, which may be due to the growing prevalence of health issues, such as Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). Adhering to a vegan diet may have positive health outcomes. As a result, we conducted a review article to gather data from previous research studies on the effects of a vegan diet on different aspects of managing patients with T2DM.

Methods: We searched the PubMed website for research studies on how a vegan diet affects the outcomes of patients with T2DM. The research studies were categorized according to the type of data collected, such as prevalence, incidence, body weight, insulin resistance, glycemic control, and lipid profile.

Results: It was found that following a vegetarian diet can significantly reduce the risk of mortality from heart disease. Additionally, studies have demonstrated that a vegetarian diet is linked to several improvements in T2DM. However, long-term weight loss plans and managing T2DM is a comprehensive intervention that includes caloric restriction, exercise, and behavioral modification.

Conclusion: Incorporating a vegan diet can be a valuable factor to consider in managing T2DM, as it can offer numerous benefits, such as increased insulin sensitivity, weight loss, and reduced blood sugar levels. It helps to reduce cholesterol levels, LDL, and triglyceride levels, which are all risk factors associated with T2DM. By reducing these risk factors, the vegan diet can improve the overall health of T2DM patients.

Keywords: Dietary restriction; glycemic control; lipid profile; type 2 diabetes mellitus; vegan diet; weight loss..

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