Regression of Diabetic Neuropathy with Total Vegetarian (Vegan) Diet

Crane, Milton G.; Sample, C. James

doi:10.3109/13590849409003592

Cited by 30 publications

(56 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…Severe pain in the legs from diabetic neuropathy was found to respond favorably to a pilot trial using a 2-week inpatient program that included a low-fat vegan diet and a 30-minute walk per day, with 17 of 21 participants becoming pain free, and the remaining four experiencing partial improvement [33]. Anecdotal reports have suggested that dietary changes have improved erectile function in men with erectile dysfunction [34] and specifically in diabetic men [35], although clinical trials involving men with diabetes are lacking.…”

Section: Nerve Functionmentioning

confidence: 94%

Usefulness of Vegetarian and Vegan Diets for Treating Type 2 Diabetes

Trapp

Barnard

2010

Curr Diab Rep

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Significant benefits for diabetes prevention and management have been observed with vegetarian and especially vegan diets. This article reviews observational studies and intervention trials on such diets, and discusses their efficacy, nutritional adequacy, acceptability, and sustainability. Research to date has demonstrated that a low-fat, plant-based nutritional approach improves control of weight, glycemia, and cardiovascular risk. These studies have also shown that carefully planned vegan diets can be more nutritious than diets based on more conventional diet guidelines, with an acceptability that is comparable with that of other therapeutic regimens. Current intervention guidelines from professional organizations offer support for this approach. Vegetarian and vegan diets present potential advantages in managing type 2 diabetes that merit the attention of individuals with diabetes and their caregivers.

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Section: Nerve Functionmentioning

confidence: 94%

Usefulness of Vegetarian and Vegan Diets for Treating Type 2 Diabetes

Trapp

Barnard

2010

Curr Diab Rep

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“…A 1994 study investigated the effect of a low-fat vegan diet on painful diabetic neuropathy. 82 In a 25-day residential study of 21 patients with type 2 diabe-tes and peripheral neuropathy, a program that included a low-fat vegan diet and daily exercise (a 30-min walk) permitted five patients to discontinue oral hypoglycemic agents, and reduced insulin dosages by approximately half in the remaining participants. In 17 of the 21 participants, neuropathic leg pains remitted completely in 2 weeks, and the four remaining participants had partial relief.…”

Section: Prevention Of Complicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vegetarian and vegan diets in type 2 diabetes management

et al. 2009

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Vegetarian and vegan diets offer significant benefits for diabetes management. In observational studies, individuals following vegetarian diets are about half as likely to develop diabetes, compared with non-vegetarians. In clinical trials in individuals with type 2 diabetes, low-fat vegan diets improve glycemic control to a greater extent than conventional diabetes diets. Although this effect is primarily attributable to greater weight loss, evidence also suggests that reduced intake of saturated fats and high-glycemic-index foods, increased intake of dietary fiber and vegetable protein, reduced intramyocellular lipid concentrations, and decreased iron stores mediate the influence of plant-based diets on glycemia. Vegetarian and vegan diets also improve plasma lipid concentrations and have been shown to reverse atherosclerosis progression. In clinical studies, the reported acceptability of vegetarian and vegan diets is comparable to other therapeutic regimens. The presently available literature indicates that vegetarian and vegan diets present potential advantages for the management of type 2 diabetes.

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“…The search yielded only a handful of studies that investigated the effects of a plant-based diet on diabetic neuropathy. 3,17,18 Table 2). The hallmark of this intervention was the calorie-reduced, low-fat vegan diet, which also excluded any refined foods and animal products.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plant‐based diets and diabetic neuropathy: A systematic review

Storz

Küster

2020

Lifestyle Medicine

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Introduction: Diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) is a debilitating condition and associated with significant morbidity, including gait disturbances, reduced quality of life, and pain, that is often resistant to conventional treatments. Treatment of DPN is based on several major approaches, including risk factor management, intensive glycemic control, and symptomatic pain management. Although some authors argue that none of the existing treatment options are satisfactory, an alternative strategy is frequently overlooked: the use of a whole-food, plant-based diet. The aim of this review was to systematically investigate whether a whole-food, plant-based diet could beneficially affect patients suffering from type 2 diabetes and DPN. Methods: The electronic databases of PubMed and Google Scholar were searched using the keywords "plant-based," "vegetarian," "vegan," "diet," and "diabetic neuropathy." Results: Only a handful of studies investigated the effects of a plant-based diet on diabetic neuropathy. These studies suggest that a plant-based diet may alleviate pain in affected patients while significantly improving glycemic control, overweight, and serum lipids at the same time. Moreover, a plant-based diet appears to reduce the medication burden in affected patients. However, the results must be interpreted with caution, because the number of clinical trials is limited and all studies have important limitations with regard to their methodology. The dietary intervention was often combined with exercise and other supplemental factors, complicating the interpretation of results. Several potential mechanisms of action including improved blood flow and optimized intake of important nutrients were identified. These factors might complementarily contribute to improved perfusion in the endoneurial microvasculature, thus reducing local hypoxia and improving pain. Conclusion: Physicians should consider recommending a plant-based diet to patients suffering from DPN, as current studies show favorable effects in terms of pain management, glycemic control, and reduced medication needs. Further well-designed studies are required to confirm the results of this review. K E Y W O R D S diabetes, diabetic neuropathy, hemorheology, pain, plant-based diet, risk factor management, vegan, vegetarian This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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Regression of Diabetic Neuropathy with Total Vegetarian (Vegan) Diet

Cited by 30 publications

References 23 publications

Usefulness of Vegetarian and Vegan Diets for Treating Type 2 Diabetes

Usefulness of Vegetarian and Vegan Diets for Treating Type 2 Diabetes

Vegetarian and vegan diets in type 2 diabetes management

Plant‐based diets and diabetic neuropathy: A systematic review

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