A new study published in Clinical Nutrition suggests that including dairy in the diet may help control blood sugar levels better than a plant-only diet. The study involved 30 participants who followed either a lacto-vegetarian diet (plant foods plus dairy) or a vegan diet (plant foods only). Results showed that individuals on the lacto-vegetarian diet had lower average blood sugar levels compared to those on the vegan diet, even after adjusting for factors such as age, sex, body mass index, and baseline glucose levels.
Professor Vimal Karani, the lead author of the study from the University of Reading, explained the findings. "People eating the vegan diet had more of a substance called phenylalanine after meals. When there's too much of this substance, it might make it harder for the body to use sugar properly. On the other hand, people eating dairy had different helpful substances in their blood, which may have helped keep their blood sugar more stable throughout the day," Karani said.
The research is particularly significant for India, where 101 million people have type 2 diabetes and 136 million have prediabetes, making it the country with the second-largest diabetes population in the world. Identifying diets that improve blood sugar control could help reduce the growing health problem.
The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Reading and Madras Diabetes Research Foundation. It was a 14-day trial involving healthy adults who were given two different diets identical in calories, protein, and carbohydrates. The only difference was that one diet included dairy products (about 558 grams daily—mostly milk, with some yogurt and cheese), while the other used plant alternatives like soy milk and tofu.
Participants wore sensors on their arms that tracked blood sugar levels every 15 minutes for two weeks, allowing researchers to see detailed blood sugar patterns that would not be visible with standard blood tests.
The results showed that the dairy group had higher levels of acetyl carnitine, a compound that helps cells use fat for energy and reduces oxidative stress damage that can occur when blood sugar is too high. This protective effect may explain why the dairy group maintained lower and more stable blood sugar levels.
In contrast, the vegan group showed higher levels of phenylalanine, an essential amino acid that, when present in excess, can interfere with how the body processes sugar. This may explain why previous studies have shown that people who regularly consume dairy products tend to have lower rates of type 2 diabetes.
For more information:
Professor Vimal Karani
University of Reading
Tel: +44 (0) 118 378 5757
Email: [email protected]
www.reading.ac.uk