Insulin sensitivity in Chinese vegetarians

Vegetarian Journal, Jan-Feb, 2005 by Reed Mangels

Insulin is a hormone that plays a role in keeping the level of sugar in our blood fairly constant. Since hormones act as messengers in our bodies, it is important that the cells to which the hormones are delivering a message are able to receive that message. In some conditions, like obesity, cells in our bodies are not sensitive to the insulin's message. Despite insulin telling cells to take in sugar from the blood stream, cells don't respond and blood sugar levels can go too high. Ideally, insulin sensitivity should be high to reduce the risk of diabetes, hardening of the arteries, high blood pressure, and other conditions. In a study from China, 19 lacto-ovo vegetarians were compared to 17 non-vegetarians. Despite having similar body weights and blood pressures, the vegetarians were more insulin sensitive than the non-vegetarians and had lower blood sugar levels. This increased insulin sensitivity may help to explain why vegetarians tend to have lower rates of diabetes and other chronic diseases.

Kuo C-S, Lai N-S, Ho L-T, et al. 2004. Insulin sensitivity in Chinese ovo-lacto vegetarians compared with omnivores. Eur J Clin Nutr 58:312-16.