Fiber Intake and Vegan Lifestyle Behaviour on Blood Glucose Control in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients: A Case-Control Study

Aims: The study aims to determine the relationship between blood glucose level control with a vegetarian diet and vegan lifestyle behavior in patients with T2DM. Background: Diabetes prevalence escalates each year. Nutritional therapy is one of its management, by choosing a suitable diet to maintain nutrient intake. Methods: This was a case-control study including 46 patients with T2DM divided into 24 people for the case group and 22 people for the control group selected using purposive sampling method. Data was obtained using a general questionnaire; food intake with the SQFFQ; the 8-item Morisky Scale questionnaire, to assess medication adherence; the IPAQ, to assess physical activity. Blood sugar measurements were observed by measuring the respondents' fasting blood sugar in the last six months. The data was then analyzed using Chi-square statistical test and logistic regression. Results: The results indicate a relationship between a vegetarian diet and a vegan lifestyle behavior that control blood sugar levels in patients with T2DM (P = 0.004). Diabetic patients on a nonvegetarian diet had a six times greater risk of having uncontrolled blood sugar (OR = 6.476). A significant relationship was found between a vegetarian diet and fasting blood sugar control based on bivariate analysis. In multivariate analysis, fiber intake was most significant to blood glucose control (OR=18.824; 95% CI 2.795-126.795). Conclusion: Vegetarian diet affects blood sugar control in T2DM patients. The type of nutritional intake needs to be more considered rather than the vegetarian diet in general, so that nutritional therapy in diabetics can be started by increasing fiber intake.