The Dr. Neal Barnard diabetes program is based on nutritional research, promoting a plant-based low-fat diet. His book is titled Dr. Neal Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes. Dr. Barnard received his M.D. from the George Washington School of Medicine (where he is an adjunct professor of medicine) and is a member of the American Diabetes Association. He also founded the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), which supports preventative medicine. Dr. Barnard’s nutritional philosophy differs significantly from the recommendations of the American Diabetes Association (ADA). Dr. Barnard’s goal is for the reduction and eventual elimination of diabetes medication using food as the sole form of therapy. For this reason, Dr. Barnard’s approach is only appropriate for individuals with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (type 2).
Dr. Neal Barnard Diabetes Nutrition Plan
The three main principles of Dr. Neal Barnard’s program for reversing diabetes are: stop consuming animal products; keep vegetable oils to a minimum; favor food with a low glycemic index (GI). Glycemic index is a numerical value that shows the rate at which food is released as glucose in the blood. The higher the glycemic index the more rapidly the food is converted to glucose and released, potentially causing spikes in blood glucose. The book provides glycemic index information for common foods and categories of foods that have a low GI number. The Dr. Neal Barnard diabetes plan also recommends eating 40 g of fiber a day, at least 10 g per meal, starting slowly and increasing the amount. For individuals who want to lose weight, Dr. Barnard applies “volumetrics”, eating foods with less calories than grams per serving (for example soups and salads).
Dr. Neal Barnard Diabetes Studies
In a study funded by the National Institute of Health and published in Diabetes Care in 2006, Dr. Barnard’s diet was found to be three times more effective than the ADA diet. 99 participants were evaluated for 22 weeks, finding that 43% of the vegan group and 26% of the ADA group reduced diabetes medications. A1C decreased 0.96 points in the vegan group and 0.56 in the ADA group while, excluding those who changed medications, A1C was 1.3 points in the vegan group compared with 0.38 in the ADA group. Body weight in the vegan group decreased by an average of 6.5 kg and 3.1 kg in the ADA group. Among those who did not change lipid-lowering medications, LDL cholesterol was reduced by 21.2% in the vegan group and 10.7% in the ADA group. Participants of both groups were asked not to alter their exercise habits and attended once a week meetings with a dietician.
