By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

More than 10% of adults in the United States have type 2 diabetes, the most common kind of diabetes. About 1 in 5 people with type 2 diabetes are not aware that they have this condition. The yearly cost of type 2 diabetes in the United States is estimated to be $327 billion. This figure includes health care and treatment costs as well as costs associated with decreased productivity.

Achieving and sustaining remission while preventing complications is an important goal for people with type 2 diabetes and their health care providers. Remission is defined as the disappearance of signs and symptoms. A group of experts met and developed a set of recommendations for treating type 2 diabetes in adults with a goal of achieving remission. They defined remission as having a hemoglobin A1c ,6.5% for at least 3 months without surgery or medication to lower blood glucose.

Their recommendations included:

• Diet is the cornerstone for managing type 2 diabetes.
• A whole-food plant-based diet is more effective than a standard American diet for promoting

remission. This diet is composed mainly of whole grains, legumes, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds and has little or no animal foods.

• This diet is a better choice than a low carbohydrate/high protein diet for long-term remission.
• Having a high fiber diet is essential. Fiber comes from plant foods including legumes, whole grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds.
• Higher calorie foods including nuts, seeds, grains, and starchy vegetables may need to be limited if weight loss is needed. Weight loss in those who are assessed as having overweight or obesity can promote remission of type 2 diabetes.
• Ideally dietary changes should be combined with other lifestyle changes such as increased activity.
• Diet appears to be most effective in terms of achieving remission in the first 4 years after being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. At any time, diet can help to reduce the risk of heart disease. While remission may be less likely in those with long-term type 2 diabetes (more than 8 years), the recommended dietary changes are not harmful.

Many health care providers are not aware of the important role that a whole-food plant-based diet can play in helping those with type 2 diabetes achieve and sustain remission. The article that discusses these recommendations can be accessed by anyone and shared with their health care provider.

Reference

Rosenfeld RM, Kelly JH, Agarwal M, et al. Dietary interventions to treat type 2 diabetes in adults with a goal of remission: An expert consensus statement from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. Am J Lifestyle Med. 2022;16(3):342-362.

To read more about type 2 diabetes see:

Vegan Menu for People with Diabetes

A Vegan Diet May Reduce the Risk for Developing Type 2 Diabetes in Overweight Adults

Lower Risk of Type 2 Diabetes with Reduced Red Meat Consumption