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Vegan Diet May Help People with Type 1 Diabetes Save on Insulin

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

A recent study has found that a vegan diet may help individuals with type 1 diabetes reduce their insulin use and costs. The study, published in BMC Nutrition, analyzed the effects of a vegan diet compared to a portion-controlled diet on insulin use and insulin costs in people with type 1 diabetes. The research involved 58 adults with type 1 diabetes who were randomly assigned to either a vegan or portion-controlled group for 12 weeks. The results showed that the vegan group experienced a significant reduction in total dose of insulin and total insulin costs, whereas the portion-controlled group did not experience any significant changes.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study found that a vegan diet reduced total dose of insulin by 12.1 units/day compared to no significant change in the portion-controlled group.
  • Total insulin costs decreased by 27% ($1.08/day) in the vegan group, while the portion-controlled group did not experience any significant change.
  • The study suggests that a vegan diet could be an effective way to reduce insulin use and costs in people with type 1 diabetes.
  • The research was conducted by Hana Kahleova, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, and published in BMC Nutrition.
  • The clinical trial, NCT04944316, was registered on June 29, 2021, on ClinicalTrials.gov.
  • The study included 58 adults with type 1 diabetes who were randomly assigned to either a vegan or portion-controlled group for 12 weeks.
  • The vegan group consisted of 29 participants, while the portion-controlled group had 29 participants as well.
  • The study used Federal Supply Schedule pharmaceutical pricing to assess insulin costs.

Statistics:

  • Total dose of insulin decreased by 12.1 units/day in the vegan group (p = 0.007).
  • Total insulin costs decreased by 27% ($1.08/day) in the vegan group (p = 0.003).
  • The portion-controlled group did not experience any significant change in total dose of insulin (treatment effect - 10.7 units/day [95% CI, -21.3 to -0.2]; p = 0.046).
  • The portion-controlled group did not experience any significant change in total insulin costs (-$0.38/day [95% CI, -$2.13 to +$1.38]; p = 0.66).

Sources:

  • NewsRx. Study Results from Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine Broaden Understanding of Type 1 Diabetes (Can a vegan diet help people with type 1 diabetes save on insulin? A secondary analysis of a 12-Week randomized clinical trial). Clinical Trials Week. October 27, 2025; p 725.
  • Hana Kahleova, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, 5100 Wisconsin Ave, NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC, 20016, United States.
  • BMC Nutrition. Can a vegan diet help people with type 1 diabetes save on insulin? A secondary analysis of a 12-Week randomized clinical trial. 2025;11(1):188.

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