Remission of Type-2 Diabetes on Plant Based Diet

Abstract

The incidence of diabetes has amplified worldwide, but health outcomes have not improved significantly. Anti-hyperglycemic medications are often accompanied by weight gain, hypoglycemia, and risk of cardiovascular events. Most diabetics are suggested a “low carb diet” as a nutritional strategy but the results short-termed and often unsustainable in most cases. Aim: This case report depicts the effectiveness of a personalized nutritional intervention program focused on Whole Food Plant Based Diet (WFPBD) and Intermittent Fasting (IF) in reducing blood glucose, body weight, waist circumference, without any pharmacological treatment. Methods: We present a case of a personalized nutritional intervention program of a 47-year-old diabetic female, weighing 86kg, measuring 168cm (BMI 30.5), with waist circumference of 43 inches. Her pre-intervention glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) was 12.5%, post prandial glucose (PPG) was 342mg/dl, and fasting blood glucose (FBG) was 250mg/dl. Besides following a WFPBD, the patient was advised to do intermittent fasts of 14 hours, starting from about 6 pm in the evening and extending till about 8 am the next morning. The primary measures were changes in HbA1c, fasting and postprandial glucose levels, body weight, waist circumference, and BMI. Results: Nutritional intervention brought substantial improvements in several health parameters of the patient. Post-intervention, the patient was able to achieve an HbA1c of 6.40%, average FBG of 113mg/dl, average PPG of 127mg/dl, body weight of 74kg, BMI of 26.2, and waist circumference of 37 inches. Conclusions: The results suggest that a personalized dietary modification program combining WFPBD and IF can significantly improve metabolic health and potentially reverse T2D without the need for pharmacological treatment.