Elsevier

Advances in Nutrition

Volume 10, Supplement 4, November 2019, Pages S320-S331
Advances in Nutrition

Dietary Patterns Emphasizing the Consumption of Plant Foods in the Management of Type 2 Diabetes: A Narrative Review

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ABSTRACT

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) is increasing worldwide. This complex and multifactorial metabolic condition affects both the quality and expectancy of life in adults. Therefore, appropriate lifestyle strategies are needed in order to reduce the burden of T2D. Dietary patterns characterized by a high consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds, and a minimal consumption of animal products, have been suggested as a dietary approach to prevent and control T2D and related micro- and macrovascular complications. This narrative review summarizes epidemiologic and clinical trial evidence on the role of the most widely studied dietary patterns that emphasize the consumption of plant foods [vegetarian, vegan, Mediterranean, and DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diets] in the management of T2D and its complications. Furthermore, their potential underlying mechanisms are discussed. Dietary patterns emphasizing the consumption of plant foods appear to confer beneficial effects on glycemic control in different diabetic populations. Several components of these dietary patterns might confer benefits on glycemia and counterbalance the detrimental effects of animal-based foods. The limited evidence on T2D-related complications makes it difficult to draw solid conclusions.

type 2 diabetes
plant-based diets
vegetarian diet
Mediterranean diet
DASH diet

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Published in a supplement to Advances in Nutrition. This supplement was sponsored by the Harding-Buller Foundation of Ohio. The contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the sponsors. Publication costs for this supplement were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and are not attributable to the sponsors or the publisher, Editor, or Editorial Board of Advances in Nutrition.

The Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de la Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBERobn) is an initiative of the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII) of Spain which is supported by funding from the Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER).

Author disclosures: The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Abbreviations used: CVD, cardiovascular disease; DASH, Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension; GDM, gestational diabetes mellitus; GI, glycemic index; HbA1c, glycated hemoglobin; MedDiet, Mediterranean Diet; PREDIMED, PREvención DIeta MEDiterránea; RCT, randomized controlled trial; T2D, type 2 diabetes.

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JS-S and NB-T contributed equally to this article.