People with type 2 diabetes have a significantly higher risk of complications such as cardiovascular disease and die earlier on average than people without diabetes. Diet plays a decisive role in the course of the disease. Until now, it was unclear whether a plant-based diet primarily consisting of vegetables, fruit, wholegrain products, pulses, nuts, and seeds also has a clear survival benefit for people with type 2 diabetes. Although nutritionists encourage a vegetarian or plant-based diet, much of the evidence comes from the general population and not specifically from diabetes studies.
A research team at the DDZ in Düsseldorf investigated this question and examined the data of 4,829 participants with type 2 diabetes in the UK Biobank, one of the largest health studies worldwide. The health of the participants was monitored for more than 11 years. It was revealed that people with a diet high in plant-based foods had a 21 percent lower mortality risk than those who consumed less plant-based food. In contrast, an unhealthy plant-based diet—characterized by refined cereal products, sugary drinks, and fried foods—was associated with a 24 percent higher mortality risk.
“Our study shows that people with type 2 diabetes can benefit from a plant-based diet, provided the diet is of high quality,” emphasizes Prof. Michael Roden, scientific director and spokesman of the board of directors of the DDZ and director of the Clinic for Endocrinology and Diabetology at the University Hospital of Düsseldorf. “Plant-based does not automatically mean healthier. It is important to consciously choose nutrient-rich foods.”
Who Particularly Benefits
The researchers also assessed whether associations varied in certain diabetes subtypes. Such subgroups are important because people with type 2 diabetes are affected very differently—for example, in terms of the time of diagnosis, blood glucose control, or waist circumference. The benefits of a plant-based diet were particularly clear in people with a higher long-term glucose value (HbA1c), a larger waist circumference, an early age at diagnosis, or a longer disease duration.
“This indicates that plant-based diets are particularly effective for people with unfavorable metabolic values or increased risk and can make an important contribution to personalized nutritional medicine for people with type 2 diabetes,” explains Dr. Sabrina Schlesinger, deputy director of the Institute of Biometry and Epidemiology at the DDZ and senior author of the study.
“Until now, there have mainly been general dietary recommendations for people with diabetes. Personalized recommendations would therefore be a new and promising approach,” adds Edyta Schaefer, first author of the study. Further studies are needed to derive specific dietary recommendations for different diabetes subtypes.
Info Box: Plant-Based Diets at a Glance:
Plant-Based Diet: Plant-based foods such as vegetables, fruit, wholegrain products, pulses, and nuts are the main constituents. However, there are variations: A healthy form of this diet includes plenty of whole grains, vegetables, legumes, and nuts. A less healthy version is based more on white bread, sweets, or fried snacks. Animal-based foods are not completely avoided.
Vegetarian Diet: Vegetarians abstain from meat and fish, but usually eat dairy products and eggs. Depending on the form of the diet, different variants are distinguished, such as ovo-lacto-vegetarians (with milk and eggs) or ovo-vegetarians (with eggs, but without dairy products).
Vegan Diet: Vegans eat an exclusively plant-based diet and completely avoid animal products, including milk, eggs, and honey.
Original publication:
Schaefer, E., Barbaresko, J., Roden, M., Kuß, O., Schlesinger, S. Plant-Based Dietary Patterns Associated With Reduced Risk of All-Cause Mortality in Diabetes Subgroups: A Prospective Cohort Study From the UK Biobank. Diabetes Care (2025). https://doi.org/10.2337/dc25-0344
Media Contact:
German Diabetes Center
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Susan Jörges
Auf'm Hennekamp 65,
40225 Düsseldorf,
Tel. +49 (0)211 3382-450
pressestelle@ddz.de
The German Diabetes Center (DDZ) serves as the German reference center for diabetes. Its objective is to contribute to the improvement of prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment of diabetes mellitus. At the same time, the research center aims at improving the epidemiological data situation in Germany. The DDZ coordinates the multicenter German Diabetes Study and is a point of contact for all players in the health sector. In addition, it prepares scientific information on diabetes mellitus and makes it available to the public. The DDZ is part of the Leibniz Association (Wissenschaftsgemeinschaft Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, WGL) and is a partner of the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD e.V.). www.ddz.de/en
The German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD) is a national association that brings together experts in the field of diabetes research and combines basic research, translational research, epidemiology and clinical applications. The aim is to develop novel strategies for personalized prevention and treatment of diabetes. Members are Helmholtz Munich – German Research Center for Environmental Health, the German Diabetes Center in Düsseldorf, the German Institute of Human Nutrition in Potsdam-Rehbrücke, the Paul Langerhans Institute Dresden of Helmholtz Munich at the University Medical Center Carl Gustav Carus of the TU Dresden and the Institute for Diabetes Research and Metabolic Diseases of Helmholtz Munich at the Eberhard-Karls-University of Tuebingen together with associated partners at the Universities in Heidelberg, Cologne, Leipzig, Lübeck and Munich. www.dzd-ev.de/en
