Low-Fat, Plant-Based Diet vs. Portion-Controlled Diet for Intracellular Lipid Reduction in Type 2 Diabetes

Study start date: July 1, 2025

Inclusion criteria are as follows: 1. Men and women with type 2 diabetes treated by diet and/or oral hypoglycemic agents other that sulfonylureas 2. Age ≥18 years 3. Body mass index 26-40 kg/m2 4. Medications (antidiabetic, antihypertensive, and lipid-lowering) have been stable for the past 3 months 5. HbA1c between 6-10.5% (42-88 mmol/mol) Exclusion criteria are as follows: 1. Diabetes mellitus, type 1 and/or treatment with insulin or sulfonylureas 2. Metal implants, such as a cardiac pacemaker or an aneurysm clip 3. History of any endocrine condition that would affect body weight, such as thyroid disease, pituitary abnormality, or Cushing's syndrome 4. Smoking during the past six months 5. Alcohol consumption of more than 2 drinks per day or the equivalent, episodic increased drinking (e.g., more than 2 drinks per day on weekends), or a history of alcohol abuse or dependency followed by any current use 6. Use of recreational drugs in the past 6 months 7. Use within the preceding six months of medications that affect appetite or body weight, such as estrogens or other hormones, thyroid medications, systemic steroids, antidepressants (tricyclics, MAOIs, SSRIs), antipsychotics, lithium, anticonvulsants, appetite suppressants or other weight-loss drugs, herbs for weight loss or mood, St. John's wort, ephedra, beta blockers 8. Pregnancy or intention to become pregnant during the study period 9. Unstable medical or psychiatric illness 10. Evidence of an eating disorder 11. Likely to be disruptive in group sessions 12. Already following a low-fat, vegan diet 13. Lack of English fluency 14. Inability to maintain current medication regimen 15. Inability or unwillingness to participate in all components of the study 16. Intention to follow another weight-loss method during the trial Participants will also review and complete the Yale MRI Safety Questionnaire to determine eligibility for the study.