Plant-Based Diet Adherence and Type 2 Diabetes Risk Factors
Plant-Based Diet: Type 2 Diabetes Risk Factors
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54393/df.v6i2.187Keywords:
Plant-Based Diet, Type 2 Diabetes, BMI, Fasting Glucose, HbA1cAbstract
Type 2 diabetes (T2D) prevalence is increasing worldwide. Dietary patterns, particularly plant-based diets, have been linked to improved glycemic control and lower T2D risk. Objectives: To analyze the relationship between plant-based dietary patterns and risk factors for T2D using publicly available secondary data. Methods: This cross-sectional secondary data analysis utilized data from the 2019 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Adults aged 20–65 years were categorized into four dietary patterns based on 24-hour dietary recalls: vegan, vegetarian, semi-vegetarian, and omnivore. Risk factors analyzed included body mass index (BMI), fasting blood glucose, and HbA1c. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 27.0. ANOVA and post-hoc tests assessed differences among groups, while Spearman correlation evaluated associations between plant-based diet adherence and T2D risk factors. The p-values <0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: The study included 5,200 adults (52% female; mean age 42.3 ± 12.5 years Mean BMI differed significantly among dietary groups, with vegans showing the lowest (23.1 ± 2.9 kg/m²; 95% CI: 22.9–23.3) and omnivores the highest (27.2 ± 3.7 kg/m²; 95% CI: 27.0–27.4). Fasting glucose and HbA1c were also lowest among vegans and highest in omnivores, indicating better glycemic control with higher adherence to plant-based diets. Higher plant-based diet adherence was associated with lower BMI, fasting glucose, and HbA1c, suggesting reduced metabolic risk. Conclusions: Plant-based diets are associated with reduced T2D risk factors. Public health strategies should promote plant-based eating patterns to mitigate the growing burden of T2D.
References
1. Schlesinger S and Schwingshackl L. The Current Evidence for Vegetarian and Vegan Diets in the Management of Type 2 Diabetes. Advances in Nutrition. 2024 Sep; 15(10): 100296. doi: 10.1016/j.advnut.2024.100296 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.advnut.2024.100296
2. Hever and Cronise RJ. Plant-Based Nutrition for Healthcare Professionals: Implementing Diet as A Primary Modality in the Prevention and Treatment of Chronic Disease. Journal of Geriatric Cardiology: JGC. 2017 May; 14(5): 355.
3. Thomas MS, Calle M, Fernandez ML. Healthy Plant-Based Diets Improve Dyslipidemias, Insulin Resistance, and Inflammation in Metabolic Syndrome: A Narrative Review. Advances In Nutrition. 2023: 14(1): 44–54. doi: 10.1016/j.advnut.2022.10.002 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.advnut.2022.10.002
4. Termannsen AD, Søndergaard CS, Færch K, Andersen TH, Raben A, Quist JS. Effects of Plant-Based Diets on Markers of Insulin Sensitivity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials. Nutrients. 2024 Jul; 16(13): 2110. doi: 10.3390/nu16132110 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16132110
5. Nolan CJ. Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and the Maternal Heart. Diabetes Care. 2022 Dec ; 45(12). doi: 10.2337/dci22-0036 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2337/dci22-0036
6. Qian F, Liu G, Hu FB, Bhupathiraju SN, Sun Q. Association Between Plant-Based Dietary Patterns and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. JAMA Internal Medicine. 2019 Oct; 179(10): 1335-44. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2019.2195 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2019.2195
7. Satija A, Bhupathiraju SN, Rimm EB, Spiegelman D, Chiuve SE, Borgi L, et al. Plant-Based Dietary Patterns and Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes in US Men and Women: Results from Three Prospective Cohort Studies. Plos Medicine. 2016 Jun; 13(6): e1002039. doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1002039 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1002039
8. Deledda A, Annunziata G, Tenore GC, Palmas V, Manzin A, Velluzzi F. Diet-derived antioxidants and their role in inflammation, obesity and gut microbiota modulation. Antioxidants. 2021; 10(5): 708. doi: 10.3390/antiox10050708. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox10050708
9. Papamichou D, Panagiotakos DB, Itsiopoulos C. Dietary patterns and management of type 2 diabetes: A systematic review of randomised clinical trials. Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases. 2019; 29(6): 531-43. doi: 10.1016/j.numecd.2019.02.004. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.numecd.2019.02.004
10. Wang Y, Liu B, Han H, Hu Y, Zhu L, Rimm EB, et al. Associations Between Plant-Based Dietary Patterns and Risks of Type 2 Diabetes, Cardiovascular Disease, Cancer, And Mortality–A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nutrition Journal. 2023 Oct; 22(1): 46. doi: 10.1186/s12937-023-00877-2 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12937-023-00877-2
11. Papadaki A, Nolen-Doerr E, Mantzoros CS. The Effect of the Mediterranean Diet on Metabolic Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Controlled Trials in Adults. Nutrients. 2020 Oct; 12(11): 3342. doi: 10.1186/s12937-023-00877-2 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12113342
12. Toumpanakis A, Turnbull T, Alba-Barba I. Effectiveness of Plant-Based Diets in Promoting Well-Being in the Management of Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review. BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care. 2018 Oct; 6(1). doi: 10.1136/bmjdrc-2018-000534 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjdrc-2018-000534
13. Clemente-Suárez VJ, Beltrán-Velasco AI, Redondo-Flórez L, Martín-Rodríguez A, Tornero-Aguilera JF. Global Impacts of Western Diet and Its Effects on Metabolism and Health: A Narrative Review. Nutrients. 2023 Jun; 15(12): 2749. doi: 10.3390/nu15122749 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15122749
14. Lv M, Mao J, Wang S, Zhang C, Ma Y, Xu H, et al. Effects of Vegetarian or Vegan Diets on Glycemic and Cardiometabolic Health in Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nutrition Reviews. 2025 Mar: nuaf011. doi: 10.1093/nutrit/nuaf011 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/nutrit/nuaf011
15. Vajdi M, Karimi A, Tousi AZ, Hosseini B, Nikniaz Z, Farhangi MA. Association Between Plant-Based Diets and Metabolic Syndrome in Obese Adults from Iran: A Cross-Sectional Study. BMC Endocrine Disorders. 2023 May; 23(1): 109. doi: 10.1186/s12902-023-01358-7 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12902-023-01358-7
16. Barnard N, Levin S, Trapp C. Meat Consumption as a Risk Factor for Type 2 Diabetes. Nutrients. 2014 Feb; 6(2): 897-910. doi: 10.3390/nu6020897 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu6020897
17. Guo Y, Niu K, Momma H, Kobayashi Y, Chujo M, Otomo A et al. Irritable bowel syndrome is Positively Related to Metabolic Syndrome: A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study. PloS one. 2014 Nov; 9(11): e112289. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0112289 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0112289
18. Mokari-Yamchi A and Rosenkranz RR. Demographic Correlates of Weight-Loss Strategies in US Adults: Cross-Sectional Analysis of NHANES Data 2017–2020. Preventive Medicine Reports. 2024 Oct; 46: 102873. doi: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2024.102873 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2024.102873
19. Aldin SA. The Effect of Whole Food, Plant-Based Diet and Low-Fat Content on the Glycaemic Control and Quality of Life in a Group of Type 2 Diabetes Patients: A Pilot Study (Doctoral Dissertation, Khaleel Abdel Latif Khaleel Sa'ad Aldin). 2018.
20. Timm M, Offringa LC, Van Klinken BJ, Slavin J. Beyond insoluble dietary fiber: bioactive compounds in plant foods. Nutrients. 2023; 15(19): 4138. doi: 10.3390/nu15194138. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15194138
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 DIET FACTOR (Journal of Nutritional and Food Sciences)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
This is an open-access journal and all the published articles / items are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. For comments