A vegan diet improves insulin resistance in individuals with obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

A vegan diet has benefits on weight reduction and on the parameters of glucose and lipid metabolism. This meta-analysis aimed to investigate the efficacy of plant-based diets on insulin resistance and blood lipids in patients with obesity.

METHODS:

PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were searched for available papers published up to March 2021. The primary outcome was insulin resistance which was assessed by Homeostasis Model Assessment Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR), other metabolic parameters measures including the pre/post-diet changes in triglycerides, HDL-cholesterol, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol. All analyses were performed using the random-effects model.

RESULTS:

Six studies (seven datasets) were included. Compared with baseline, the plant-based diet improved the HOMA-IR (SMD = 1.64, 95%CI 0.95, 2.33; I2 = 91.8%, Pheterogeneity < 0.001), total cholesterol (SMD = 2.51, 95% CI 0.88, 4.13; I2 = 98.0%, Pheterogeneity < 0.001), HDL-cholesterol (SMD = 1.55, 95% CI 0.66, 2.44; I2 = 92.0%, Pheterogeneity < 0.001), and LDL-cholesterol (SMD = 2.50, 95% CI 1.30, 3.70; I2 = 94.4%, Pheterogeneity < 0.001), but not the triglycerides (SMD = - 0.62, 95% CI - 1.92, 0.68; I2 = 97.8%, Pheterogeneity < 0.001). The sensitivity analyses showed that the results were robust.

CONCLUSIONS:

In obese individuals with insulin resistance, a vegan diet improves insulin resistance and dyslipidemia, except for triglycerides.

• Authors: Peng Chen, Ying Zhao, Yan Chen
• Journal: Diabetology & metabolic syndrome (Diabetol Metab Syndr) Vol. 14 Issue 1 Pg. 114 (Aug 13 2022) ISSN: 1758-5996 [Print] England
• PMID: 35964120 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: © 2022. The Author(s).