Vegan diet best for type 2 diabetics

WASHINGTON, July 27 (UPI) -- A new study released in Washington shows that people with type 2 diabetes do best following a low-fat, plant-based diet.

Writing in the journal Diabetes Care, researchers say a diet that avoids animal products, such as meat and dairy, is superior to the traditional diet recommended by the American Diabetes Association, WebMD reports.

According to the researchers, 43 percent of the diabetics who followed a low-fat vegan diet for 22 weeks reduced their need to take medicine to manage their disease compared to 26 percent who followed the ADA diet.

In addition, those following the vegan diet lowered their cholesterol and weight more than diabetics following the traditional diet.

"The diet appears remarkably effective, and all the side effects are good ones -- especially weight loss and lower cholesterol," said chief researcher Neal D. Barnard, M.D., adjunct professor of medicine at George Washington University and president of Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.

"I hope this study will rekindle interest in using diet changes first, rather than prescription drugs," he said.