Vegan Diet Could Improve Diabetic Nerve Pain

Eating a plant-based diet could help to relieve diabetic nerve pain, according to a new study.

Researchers from the Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine found that adults who were put on a low-fat vegan diet for 20 weeks experienced significant improvements in pain, which was measured through a questionnaire, a physical assessment and electrochemical conductance tests in the foot.

Diabetic neuropathy is a common side effect of the blood sugar condition, which can lead to numbness, tingling, and pain in the feet, hands, legs, or arms. This type of nerve pain can lead to amputations, obesity, depression, and a lower quality of life.

“A dietary intervention reduces the pain associated with diabetic neuropathy, apparently by improving insulin resistance,” said Dr. Neal Barnard, president of the Physicians Committee. “The same diet also improves body weight and reduces cholesterol and blood pressure.”

Weight loss an added benefit

Participants in the study were also given weekly nutrition classes and lost an average of 14 pounds over the 20-week period on the vegan diet.

Plant-based eating may help to lower "bad" cholesterol levels, reduce inflammation and improve insulin resistance.

“The dietary intervention is easy to prescribe and easy to follow,” said Cameron Wells, M.P.H., R.D., director of nutrition education for the Physicians Committee. “Steel-cut oats, leafy greens, and lentils are widely available at most food markets and fit well into most budgets.”

Source: PCRM

Get a Free Diabetes Meal Plan

Get a free 7-Day Diabetes Meal Plan from Constance Brown-Riggs who is a Registered Dietitian-Certified Diabetes Educator and who is also a national spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.

Just enter in your email below to download your free Diabetes Meal Plan.

By clicking Submit, you agree to send your info to BattleDiabetes.com who, in addition to 3rd party partners, may contact you with updates, products and information and we agree to use it according to our privacy policy and terms and conditions.

More Articles

More Articles

For decades people with type-1 and advanced type-2 diabetes relied on painful and often flawed insulin injections to regulate blood sugar...

Scientists have discovered that a single gene forms a common link between type 2 diabetes and...

Natural supplements like cinnamon extract and apple cider vinegar could hold the key to lowering blood sugar levels, according to a recent...

Natural supplements like cinnamon extract and apple cider vinegar could hold the key to lowering blood sugar levels, according to a recent...

Could a person's risk for type 2 diabetes be written in their genes?

According to a study recently published in ...

Women who frequently shift around their sleeping hours could have worse metabolic health outcomes than their peers who stick with a...

The presence of the hormone leptin may hinder prenatal development, which could explain the origin of type 2 diabetes, according to...

An analysis of fossilized Native American feces shows that our ancestors ate up to sixteen times the fiber that we do today, but our...

Managing diabetes is hugely challenging for people of any age, but a new study suggests that young people may suffer all the more....

Disruptions to the gut’s ecosystem could be a future symptom facing young children who take antibiotics, which makes them more susceptible...

Breastfeeding a newborn holds many benefits for mommy and baby; it reduces the baby's risk for colds and viruses, it helps his bones (and yours)...

Fans of the Dexcom G5 Mobile have something to smile about.

At yesterday's hearing with the U.S. Food and Drug...

If you start your day with a cup of tea and end it with a glass of red wine, your blood sugar may thank you.

At least that...

As medical experts continue to debate whether or not "healthy obesity" can even exist, one new study suggests that risk for heart disease...

For years, type 1 diabetics have been anxiously waiting for that medical marvel that can stop the constant injections: the artificial...