Dietary Modifications used for the Treatment of Type II Diabetes in Adults

Abstract

Siriluk Pichainarongk and Satesh Bidaisee

Given the increasing prevalence of diabetes and obesity worldwide, lifestyle interventions must be made in order to improve health and decrease the risk for chronic disease. While nutritional intervention, physical exercise, weight management, and oral medications can all be used for glycemic control, no specific criteria for dietary modifications have been established in the treatment of type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Additionally, the limited generalizability of past studies has failed to assess these nutritional approaches from a social ecological standpoint. Consequently, by comparing the metabolic effects of a low carbohydrate, low fat, Mediterranean style, vegan, and vegetarian diet, it will be possible determine the long-term efficacy of such nutritional interventions. Moreover, these dietary treatments can be used to control and prevent the onset of T2DM through intrapersonal and interpersonal level modifications. However, further emphasis must be placed on T2DM management in order to prevent microvascular and macrovascular complications.

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