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A Vegetarian Diet

Proof is in the Gelatin-free Pudding: Three Compelling Studies
1.A Low-Fat Vegan Diet Improves Glycemic Control and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in a Randomized Clinical Trial with Type 2 Diabetes.
One group followed a vegan diet. The control group used the American Diabetes Association (ADA) guidelines. The vegans consumed about 10 percent of the calories from fat, 15 percent from protein, and 75 percent came from carbohydrate. They avoided all animal products and didn’t restrict portion sizes. In 22 weeks, the vegans reduced diabetes medications by 43 percent vs. 26 percent in the control group. The vegans had an A1C drop of 1.23% vs. 0.38% in the control group. Both groups lost weight, improved cholesterol, and lowered blood pressure. Urinary albumin (an indication of kidney health) reduced significantly only for the vegans.
(Barnard, N. et al: Diabetes Care 29: 1777-1783, 2006).

2.Type 2 Diabetes and the Vegetarian Diet.
The consumption of whole-grains reduces the risk of both type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Nuts, fibers from oats and barley, soy proteins, and plant sterols, which may be part of a vegetarian diet, reduce cholesterol. Substituting soy or other vegetable proteins for animal protein may also decrease the long-term risk of developing renal disease in type 2 diabetes.
(Jenkins, D. et al: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 78: 610S-616S, 2003.)

3.Insulin sensitivity in Chinese ovo-lacto vegetarians compared with omnivores.
Vegetarians were more insulin sensitive than the omnivore (animal and plant eaters) counterparts. The degree of insulin sensitivity appeared to correlate to years on a vegetarian diet.
(Kuo CS, et al: European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 58: 312-6, 2004.)