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Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2NCT06106035

The Effect of a Low-fat Vegan Dietary Intervention on Intracellular Lipid, Insulin Sensitivity, and Glycemic Control in Type 2 Diabetes

A study testing low-fat vegan diet in people with Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 and Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 in Obese, run by Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine at 1 site in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

The goal of this 16-week clinical trial is to assess the health benefits of a low-fat vegan diet on insulin sensitivity and glycemic control in type 2 diabetes. Participants will receive at no cost, study-related weekly nutrition education classes and one-on-one consultation with a registered dietitian. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
What is being tested?
low-fat vegan diet
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
26 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
13 Feb 2024to 28 Nov 2025
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Men and women with type 2 diabetes treated by diet and/or oral hypoglycemic agents other than sulfonylureas
  • Age ≥18 years
  • Body mass index 26-40 kg/m2
  • Medications (antidiabetic, antihypertensive, and lipid-lowering) have been stable for the past 3 months
  • HbA1c between 6.0-10.5% (42-91 mmol/mol)

Who cannot join

  • Diabetes mellitus, type 1 and/or treatment with insulin or sulfonylureas
  • Metal implants, such as a cardiac pacemaker or an aneurysm clip
  • History of any endocrine condition that would affect body weight, such as thyroid disease, pituitary abnormality, or Cushing's syndrome
  • Smoking during the past six months
  • Alcohol consumption of more than 2 drinks per day or the equivalent, episodic increased drinking (e.g., more than 2 drinks per day on weekends), or a history of alcohol abuse or dependency followed by any current use
  • Use of recreational drugs in the past 6 months
Show all 16Show fewer
  • Use within the preceding six months of medications that affect appetite or body weight, such as estrogens or other hormones, thyroid medications, systemic steroids, antidepressants (tricyclics, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), antipsychotics, lithium, anticonvulsants, appetite suppressants or other weight-loss drugs, herbs for weight loss or mood, St. John's wort, ephedra, beta-blockers
  • Pregnancy or intention to become pregnant during the study period
  • Unstable medical or psychiatric illness
  • Evidence of an eating disorder
  • Likely to be disruptive in group sessions
  • Already following a low-fat, vegan diet
  • Lack of English fluency
  • Inability to maintain current medication regimen
  • Inability or unwillingness to participate in all components of the study
  • Intention to follow another weight-loss method during the trial

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site

  • Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine

    Washington D.C., District of Columbia, 20016

Other trials in United States

About this study

The goal of this 16-week clinical trial is to assess the health benefits of a low-fat vegan diet on insulin sensitivity and glycemic control in type 2 diabetes. Participants will receive at no cost, study-related weekly nutrition education classes and one-on-one consultation with a registered dietitian.

Read the detailed description

This study tests the hypothesis that fat content in muscle and liver cells will be reduced and changes in insulin sensitivity will be observed in response to a low-fat vegan diet intervention.

The study will be carried out online (via Zoom or a similar platform). Participants will be asked to attend weekly online classes on nutrition and health.

The study will also require in-person meetings. Participants will travel to the Physicians Committee of Responsible Medicine, Washington, DC, at the beginning of the study (week 0) and the end of the study (week 16) to complete bloodwork (comprehensive metabolic panel, lipid panel, and HbA1c) and several medical tests (standard meal test, indirect calorimetry, dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry [DEXA Scan, an imaging test that measures changes in bone mineral density/bone strength], and Advanced Glycation End-products measurement). They will also need to travel to the Magnetic Research Center at Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT at the beginning of the study (week 0) and the end of the study (week 16) to have a Magnetic Resonance (MR) spectroscopy to quantify liver and muscle fat content.

Being tested
low-fat vegan diet
Keywords
Diabetes, Type 2, HbA1c
Medical subject headings
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2, Diabetes Mellitus

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • low-fat vegan dietBehavioural

    Also called low-fat, plant-based diet

    The intervention diet consists of whole grains, vegetables, legumes, and fruits, with no restriction on energy intake. Participants will also be guided to favor foods with a low glycemic index. Animal products and added oils will be excluded. The diet is designed to derive approximately 10% of energy from fat, approximately 10-15% of energy from protein, and the remainder from mostly complex carbohydrates. The diet will also provide approximately 40 g of fiber per day.

Study groups in NCT06106035
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Intervention Group: low-fat vegan dietExperimentalThis arm of participants will be asked to attend weekly online classes in nutrition and health and to follow a low-fat, vegan diet for 16 weeks.
Receives: Behavioral: low-fat vegan diet

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Intramyocellular and Hepatocellular Lipid Content

    MR spectroscopy will be used to quantify liver and muscle fat content. This study will assess the association of attending a series of plant-based nutrition classes with pre-post changes in intramyocellular and hepatocellular lipid content.

    Measured: 16-weeks

  2. Insulin sensitivity and β-cell function

    These will be assessed during a standard meal test (Boost Plus, Nestle, Vevey, Switzerland; 720 kcal, 34% of energy from fat, 16% protein, 50% carbohydrate). Plasma concentrations of glucose, immunoreactive insulin, and C-peptide will be measured at 0, 30, 60, 120, and 180 min. Insulin secretory rates will be calculated from plasma C-peptide levels by deconvolution49 and expressed per square meter of estimated body surface area. This study will assess the association of attending a series of plant-based nutrition classes with pre-post changes in insulin sensitivity and β-cell function.

    Measured: 16-weeks

  3. Resting energy expenditure and postprandial metabolism

    This will be measured by indirect calorimetry. Participants will be asked to report to the laboratory within 60 minutes of waking and after a 12-hour fast. Resting energy expenditure will be measured for 20 minutes through indirect calorimetry, utilizing a ventilated hood system. Postprandial metabolism will be measured for 20 minutes in the last hour of the meal test, i.e. 2 hours after the standard breakfast. This study will assess the association of attending a series of plant-based nutrition classes with pre-post changes in resting energy expenditure and postprandial metabolism.

    Measured: 16-weeks

  4. Body Composition

    This will be measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (Lunar iDXA). The iDXA can measure body composition with low X-ray exposure and short scanning time. This study will assess the association of attending a series of plant-based nutrition classes with pre-post changes in body composition.

    Measured: 16-weeks

  5. Advanced Glycation End-products (AGE)

    This will be measured using the Advanced Glycation End-products (AGE) Reader made by Diagnoptics. AGE Reader measures the skin fluorescence to quantify the tissue accumulation of AGE's. This study will assess the association of attending a series of plant-based nutrition classes with pre-post changes in advanced glycation end-products (AGE).

    Measured: 16-weeks

  6. Continuous glucose monitoring

    To provide glucose readings throughout the day, participants will be provided with a continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) system that measures glucose concentrations between 40 and 400 mg/dL every 5 minutes for up to 7 days by sampling interstitial fluid. The participants who are at risk of hypoglycemia will be encouraged to use CGM throughout the whole study.

    Measured: 16-weeks

  7. Body Weight

    This study will assess the association of attending a series of plant-based nutrition classes with pre-post changes in body weight.

    Measured: 16-weeks

  8. Plasma Lipid Concentrations

    This study will assess the association of attending a series of plant-based nutrition classes with pre-post changes in plasma lipid concentrations.

    Measured: 16-weeks

  9. HbA1c

    This study will assess the association of attending a series of plant-based nutrition classes with pre-post changes in glycemic control in individuals with type 2 diabetes as assessed by hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and use of medication.

    Measured: 16-weeks

Secondary outcomes (3)

  1. Diet Quality

    In addition, this study will assess the association between attending a series of plant-based nutrition classes on pre-post changes in diet quality. Diet quality will be determined using the alternate eating index.

    Measured: 16-weeks

  2. Food Acceptability

    This study will assess the association between attending a series of plant-based nutrition classes on pre-post changes in food acceptability. The Food Acceptability Questionnaire (FAQ) will measure attitudes about the intervention diet, the effort required to follow it, and the likelihood of continued adherence to it in the future.

    Measured: 16-weeks

  3. Food Cost

    This study will assess the association between attending a series of plant-based nutrition classes on pre-post changes in food cost. The food cost will be determined using the 3-day diet records and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Thrifty Plan 2021.

    Measured: 16-weeks

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted30 Oct 2023
  2. Study start13 Feb 2024
  3. Primary completion28 Nov 2025
  4. Study completion28 Nov 2025

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Model description
All individuals will be on a low-fat vegan diet for the duration of the study.
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
26 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT06106035
Sponsor's protocol ID
Pro00074571
Status last verified
Jan 2026
First submitted
24 Oct 2023
Last updated
20 Jan 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Kahleova H, Sutton M, Maracine C, Nichols D, Monsivais P, Holubkov R, Barnard ND. Vegan Diet and Food Costs Among Adults With Overweight: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2023 Sep 5;6(9):e2332106. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.32106.

    PubMed 37669055

  • Kahleova H, Petersen KF, Shulman GI, Alwarith J, Rembert E, Tura A, Hill M, Holubkov R, Barnard ND. Effect of a Low-Fat Vegan Diet on Body Weight, Insulin Sensitivity, Postprandial Metabolism, and Intramyocellular and Hepatocellular Lipid Levels in Overweight Adults: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2020 Nov 2;3(11):e2025454. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.25454.

    PubMed 33252690

  • Yatsuya H, Nihashi T, Li Y, Hotta Y, Matsushita K, Muramatsu T, Otsuka R, Matsunaga M, Yamashita K, Wang C, Uemura M, Harada A, Fukatsu H, Toyoshima H, Aoyama A, Tamakoshi K. Independent association of liver fat accumulation with insulin resistance. Obes Res Clin Pract. 2014 Jul-Aug;8(4):e350-5. doi: 10.1016/j.orcp.2013.08.002. Epub 2013 Sep 5.

    PubMed 25091356

  • Barnard ND, Cohen J, Jenkins DJ, Turner-McGrievy G, Gloede L, Jaster B, Seidl K, Green AA, Talpers S. A low-fat vegan diet improves glycemic control and cardiovascular risk factors in a randomized clinical trial in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2006 Aug;29(8):1777-83. doi: 10.2337/dc06-0606.

    PubMed 16873779

  • Itani SI, Ruderman NB, Schmieder F, Boden G. Lipid-induced insulin resistance in human muscle is associated with changes in diacylglycerol, protein kinase C, and IkappaB-alpha. Diabetes. 2002 Jul;51(7):2005-11. doi: 10.2337/diabetes.51.7.2005.

    PubMed 12086926

  • Bachmann OP, Dahl DB, Brechtel K, Machann J, Haap M, Maier T, Loviscach M, Stumvoll M, Claussen CD, Schick F, Haring HU, Jacob S. Effects of intravenous and dietary lipid challenge on intramyocellular lipid content and the relation with insulin sensitivity in humans. Diabetes. 2001 Nov;50(11):2579-84. doi: 10.2337/diabetes.50.11.2579.

    PubMed 11679437

  • Goodpaster BH, Theriault R, Watkins SC, Kelley DE. Intramuscular lipid content is increased in obesity and decreased by weight loss. Metabolism. 2000 Apr;49(4):467-72. doi: 10.1016/s0026-0495(00)80010-4.

    PubMed 10778870

  • Krssak M, Falk Petersen K, Dresner A, DiPietro L, Vogel SM, Rothman DL, Roden M, Shulman GI. Intramyocellular lipid concentrations are correlated with insulin sensitivity in humans: a 1H NMR spectroscopy study. Diabetologia. 1999 Jan;42(1):113-6. doi: 10.1007/s001250051123.

    PubMed 10027589

  • Perseghin G, Scifo P, De Cobelli F, Pagliato E, Battezzati A, Arcelloni C, Vanzulli A, Testolin G, Pozza G, Del Maschio A, Luzi L. Intramyocellular triglyceride content is a determinant of in vivo insulin resistance in humans: a 1H-13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy assessment in offspring of type 2 diabetic parents. Diabetes. 1999 Aug;48(8):1600-6. doi: 10.2337/diabetes.48.8.1600.

    PubMed 10426379

  • Goodpaster BH, Thaete FL, Kelley DE. Thigh adipose tissue distribution is associated with insulin resistance in obesity and in type 2 diabetes mellitus. Am J Clin Nutr. 2000 Apr;71(4):885-92. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/71.4.885.

    PubMed 10731493

  • Kahleova H, Petersen K, Shulman GI, Znayenko-Miller T, Dufour S, Brennan H, Maracine C, Tura A, Holubkov R, Barnard ND. Changes in ectopic lipids, insulin sensitivity, and beta cell function after a low-fat vegan diet in adults with type 2 diabetes: a 16-week single-arm clinical trial. BMJ Open Diabetes Res Care. 2026 Oct 8;14(5):e006472. doi: 10.1136/bmjdrc-2026-006472.

    PubMed 42850024

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing low-fat vegan diet in people with Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 and Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 in Obese, run by Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 16 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 20 Jan 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Intramyocellular and Hepatocellular Lipid Content (time frame: 16-weeks). The study lists 9 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT06106035, which also lists 11 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 20 Jan 2026; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 7 Nov 2026.

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