The adoption of a vegan diet could improve the mood in diabetics

United States

The diabetes is a formidable enemy that can deplete the bodies and minds of people with a diagnosis of blood sugar disease.

But an herbal diet could improve the physical and mental health of unhappy people with Type 2 diabetes, reports a new review of the evidence.

Diabetics who switched to a plant-based diet tended to see a significant improvement in their emotional well-being, based on the combined results of 11 previous studies.

The researchers who conducted the review believe that this is due to the fact that the plant-based diet has helped them better manage their diabetes.

"They feel that they have more control over their health and therefore over their mood and overall well-being," said lead author of the study, Anastasios Toumpanakis, PhD candidate at University of London in England.

Diet is the key to controlling type 2 diabetes, which affects more than 30 million people in the United States, the researchers said in the notes.

Vegan diets eliminate all products of animal origin, including eggs and dairy products, said Rahaf Al Bochi, dietician and nutritionist and spokesman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

During the evidence review, Toumpanakis and colleagues collected data on 433 participants from 11 different clinical trials. Of these, eight involved fully vegan diets and the remainder were vegetarians. The trials lasted an average of 23 weeks.

The results show that people who consume herbal diets have improved their physical health and better controlled their diabetes.

"These studies show that these eating habits have helped them better control serum glucose levels. [azúcar en la sangre], in addition to improving their lipid and cholesterol levels, "said Toumpanakis.

People who followed a plant-based diet also felt a marked relief from nerve pain related to diabetes, and the results suggest that such a diet plan could slow the progressive nerve damage associated with diabetes , researchers said. .

In six of the studies, patients were able to reduce or stop the medications they took for diabetes or for the symptoms of diabetes.

Studies have also revealed that people have experienced an improvement in their psychological well-being. Levels of depression have been reduced, while overall quality of life has improved.

"We would say that people with type 2 diabetes who are following a plant-based diet might be happier because, as the studies suggest, most found that, through this diet, they could better control their condition "Toumpanakis said.

"If, through their diet, they can improve their physical symptoms and blood sugar and reduce or even stop some of their medications, it will have a huge impact on their quality of life," he added.

Toumpanakis said that there was nothing to lose by opting for an herbal diet and noted that the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and the American College of Endocrinology are promoting regimes. vegetarian or vegan as optimal nutrition for people with diabetes.

But the study did not prove that an herbal diet improved the mental and physical health of patients, but only that there was an association.

And Al Bochi is not ready to adopt the conclusions of the examination.

He noted that of the 11 studies included in the review, only 4 recorded the psychological well-being of the population.

"If you take that into account, we are working with very small samples," said Al Bochi.

Previous studies have shown that food can play a role in the mood of a person, he said, but "whether or not there is an exact mechanism regarding meat products and the mood, I'm not sure that there is a real association. "

In addition, the protein could increase the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that can help improve mood, he noted.

Al Bochi suggested that people can better control their mood with food by making sure to eat regularly, to prevent feelings of "hunger anger" that may result from changes in blood sugar. .

"We know that many nutrients can help the mood.I am not sure that the elimination of certain groups, such as meat products, can have a positive effect on the body. mood, "said Al Bochi.

The evidence review was published online Oct. 30 in the journal BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care.

More information

The American Diabetes Association has more on vegetarian diets and diabetes.