There is something called the "American Journal Of Clinical Nutrition" which is associated with the Baylor College Of Medicine. They have an extensive editorial board, have archives on their website going back to 1952. In this journal, we found a very interesting study showing how a vegetarian diet can be used to treat type 2 diabetes.
Reading this study, one gets the sense that there has not been a whole lot of scientific work pointing out these links. This is the summary of the study from the abstract:
"Long-term cohort studies have indicated that whole-grain consumption reduces the risk of both type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. In addition, nuts (eg, almonds), viscous fibers (eg, fibers from oats and barley), soy proteins, and plant sterols, which may be part of the vegetarian diet, reduce serum lipids. In combination, these plant food components may have a very significant impact on cardiovascular disease, one of the major complications of diabetes. Furthermore, substituting soy or other vegetable proteins for animal protein may also decrease renal hyperfiltration, proteinuria, and renal acid load and in the long term reduce the risk of developing renal disease in type 2 diabetes. The vegetarian diet, therefore, contains a portfolio of natural products and food forms of benefit for both the carbohydrate and lipid abnormalities in diabetes. It is anticipated that their combined use in vegetarian diets will produce very significant metabolic advantages for the prevention and treatment of diabetes and its complications."
From a diet perspective, it is interesting that the major diet companies are moving strongly in this direction. Weight Watchers Momentum is a new version of the popular diet, and they now assess water content in food, not just fiber. NutriSystem Select is a new offering that offers delivery of foods that feature more fruits and vegetables. Related Articles: