This Diet Wins Out When It Comes to Diabetes Prevention

You Should Know: When your blood sugar test results begin to rise, many people’s first thought is to cut back on carbs. But research shows that plant-forward diets actually tend to be more effective for managing diabetes risk. A recent national poll even found that while many Americans are open to changing how they eat, only a small number knew that low-fat, plant-based diets are strongly linked with better metabolic health. 

Going Deeper: One large analysis found that people who ate the most animal protein and fat were significantly more likely to develop diabetes over time. On the other hand, clinical trials highlight the metabolic benefits of plant-based eating. In one randomized study, people who followed a low-fat vegan diet for sixteen weeks improved their insulin sensitivity and reduced fat stored in the liver and muscles, both of which help the body manage blood sugar. And these changes even happened without strict calorie counting.

Takeaway: Adding more plants seems to lower diabetes risk more than cutting carbs alone.

Bottom Line: If you’re trying to improve your metabolic health, a plant-based approach has the most substantial evidence supporting it.