Vegan Diet May Reduce Diabetic Nerve Pain

A low-fat vegan diet may reduce pain associated with diabetic neuropathy, according to a presentation this week at the American Association of Diabetes Educators Annual Meeting in Orlando, Fla. In a randomized controlled trial of 35 type 2 diabetes patients with painful neuropathy, half followed a vegan diet and took a vitamin B12 supplement for 20 weeks, while the other half only took the supplement. The diet group showed greater improvements in some pain measures and body weight, as compared with the control group. This study demonstrates the promise of a dietary approach to diabetic nerve pain and other microvascular complications.