In 2009, Current Diabetes Reports published “The usefulness of a Mediterranean-based diet in individuals with type 2 diabetes,” by Catherine M. Champagne, Ph.D., R.D., L.D.N. Unfortunately, the full article isn’t available to you at no cost. But I read it. Her article is a review of available scientific evidence related to the Mediterranean diet as applied to a diabetic population. Here’s a quote:
This diet is a viable treatment option; advisors should stress not only adherence to a fairly traditional Mediterranean eating plan but also a lifestyle that includes sufficient physical activity.
I’ve been publishing my series on exercise here in dribs and drabs for the last several months.
Dr. Champagne was very favorably impressed with the DIRECT trial of Shai et al, which I covered extensively elsewhere. DIRECT compared three diets over 24 months: Atkins, Mediterranean/calorie-restricted, and low-fat/calorie-restricted. Mind you, it was a weight loss study, but a fair number of diabetics participated. Mediterranean-style eating showed the most beneficial effects for diabetics.
The author also mentions evidence that a modified Mediterranean diet may help counteract the build-up of fat in the liver, seen in up to 70% of type 2 diabetics. I wrote recently about how a very-low-carb diet beat the low-fat diet so often recommended for this condition (hepatic steatosis or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease).
If you want full online access to Champagne’s 6-page article, you can purchase it for $34 (USD) at SpringerLink. I cite many of the same scientific sources and provide a whole lot more in my 216-page Conquer Diabetes and Prediabetes: The Low-Carb Mediterranean Diet, at Amazon.com for $16.95 or $9.99 (the Kindle edition) or in multiple ebook formats from Smashwords.
Reference: Champagne, Catherine (2009). The usefulness of a Mediterranean-based diet in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Current Diabetes Reports DOI: 10.1007/s11892-009-0060-3
Diabetic Mediterranean Diet 