National Diabetes Month: Most US citizens open to preventative plant-based diets

The majority of people in the US (65%) would consider a plant-based diet to prevent type 2 diabetes, according to a new poll by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM).

Most of the respondents, 2,203 US adults, further indicate that they would adopt a meat-free diet if their doctor recommended it to improve their blood sugar control. 

“The good news is that most US citizens would be open to trying a plant-based diet to prevent and treat type 2 diabetes, and we have the resources to help them,” says Noah Praamsma, MS, registered dietitian nutritionist and nutrition education coordinator with PCRM.

Praamsma, who further co-leads the organization’s National Diabetes Program, adds: “It’s also critical that we continue to educate more doctors and dietitians about prescribing a plant-based diet rich in fruits, vegetables, grains, and beans to their patients.”

The 2025 poll involved respondents whose health care providers have spoken to them about the risks behind type 2 diabetes. Among this group, 57% say they are aware that high vegetable intake decreases the risk, but only 34% know that high fruit intake has the same impact.  

Just 21% were shown to understand that low-fat, plant-based diets can also prevent or improve type 2 diabetes. 

A concerning trend 

The PCRM Diabetes and Diet Awareness Poll (conducted October 18–19, 2025) revealed some potentially “concerning” findings as well.

Reduced fat consumption can address the root cause of diabetes, the PCRM highlights.Adults whose health care provider has discussed type 2 diabetes with them (50% of respondents), are most likely to say a low-carb diet prevents or improves type 2 diabetes.

According to the PCRM, research has revealed that low-carbohydrate diets high in animal products are associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes.

The committee points to a study presented at the 2022 American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions conference and published in AHAIASA, which found that people with diets high in animal protein and fat had a 35% higher risk of type 2 diabetes and a 39% higher risk if their diets also minimized whole grains.

Meanwhile, PCRM underscores that fat reduction facilitates insulin function, reduces blood sugar, and addresses “the root cause” of diabetes. This is said to be the case because the human body turns starchy and sugary foods into glucose used by muscle cells for fuel.

Insulin allows proteins to transport glucose into the cells, which mostly goes to the muscle and liver cells. People with type 2 diabetes are said to generally have enough insulin, but have cells resistant to it due to fat accumulation, resulting in problematic levels of glucose in the bloodstream. 

In particular, the PCRM states that the consumption of fat from animal products, fried food, and oils leads to this type of unwanted fat accumulation in cells.

Low-fat, plant-based solution

Low-fat, plant-based diets are linked to improved blood sugar control and reduce insulin resistance, according to PCRM.The PCRM references its “decade-long” research on the effects of low-fat and plant-based diets that do not limit carbs on people with type 2 diabetes. 

A randomized clinical trial looking at how a low-fat vegan diet affects glycemic control and cardiovascular risk factors in those with type 2 diabetes, published in Diabetes Care, showed that 43% of those on a vegan diet reduced their medications for the condition. The same group also improved their body weight, HbA1c, and LDL cholesterol. 

Another study in Jama measured the intracellular fat found in liver and muscle cells. It revealed that after following a low-fat, vegan diet for 16 weeks, fat in liver cells was reduced by 34.4%, and fat in muscle cells was reduced by 10.4%. 

The study authors say these reductions correlate with lower insulin resistance, suggesting that the underlying cause of type 2 diabetes is reversible.