Have you heard of PAN South Africa?

The Physicians Association for Nutrition (PAN) South Africa’s work focuses on nutrition in healthcare and medical education. We connected with the PAN team at last year’s Diabetes Summit and had some follow up questions for them!

Who is PAN, and how does your work relate to diabetes?

PAN South Africa is the national office of a global medical non-profit organisation that is advancing nutrition in healthcare and medical education.

PAN promotes evidence-based diets for both personal and planetary health, with the goal of reducing diet-related conditions and deaths.

PAN recognises that diabetes places a major burden on South Africans and the health system, as a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Fortunately, many cases of Type 2 diabetes can be prevented through lifestyle changes and healthy diets. We work to raise awareness that plant-based diet options, including the Planetary Health Diet, vegetarian, and vegan diets, can serve as an additional tool for health professionals to support people with managing and preventing Type 2 diabetes in South Africa, when properly planned.

We increase access to education through our Continuous Professional Development (CPD) accredited Journal Series, membership programmes, and roadshows. We work with healthcare professionals, including physicians and dieticians, to provide the knowledge and tools needed to incorporate healthy and sustainable diets into clinical practice.

You were part of a team that created a diabetes cookbook called Healing Diabetes – could you tell us about that?

Healing Diabetes and Other Lifestyle Diseases is a cookbook created by Ubuntu Wellness Institute (UWI). While we didn’t create the cookbook ourselves, we ran a study on the featured meal plans with 10 participants from different parts of South Africa through the 21-day diabetes reversal challenge.

People living with Type 2 diabetes in the study experienced significant improvements in diabetic outcomes and weight management. Our research, titled “A Plant-Based Dietary Approach to the Management of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in South Africa: Short Communication of a Multiple-Case Study,” is based on this 21-Day Diabetes Reversal Challenge by UWI. Read more about the study here.

The cookbook includes practical, easy-to-follow, plant-based recipes, as well as expert essays, including a contribution from our Medical Director, Prof Andrew Robinson, titled “Diabetes, Covid-19, and Africa.”

Prof Robinson’s essay highlights how COVID-19 served as a wake-up call, revealing just how unhealthy many societies have become, especially given how severely the pandemic affected people living with non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

Prof Robinson reflects on the concept of food as medicine and explains that, before colonisation, African diets were largely plant-based, with communities experiencing far fewer lifestyle-related conditions.

He also touches on the anti-inflammatory benefits of a plant-based diet and notes how many well-known figures, such as Serena Williams and Lewis Hamilton, have embraced this way of eating. He adds that he, too, has personally experienced its health benefits.

PAN encourages people to incorporate more plant-based foods into their diets and, for those living with chronic conditions, to involve their healthcare providers in the process so that medications can be safely monitored and adjusted where necessary.

Our Communications Manager, Shaiyah Luthuli, also contributed three recipes to the book: Isijingi, Isgwamba, and Umqhusho. These are traditional dishes enjoyed by isiZulu- and isiXhosa-speaking communities for generations, forming an integral part of daily diets and cultural events such as funerals and other ceremonies.

Shaiyah additionally contributed an essay titled “Plant-based diet: medicine for disadvantaged communities,” which discusses how disadvantaged South African communities, those most affected by non-communicable conditions, can benefit from adopting a plant-based diet.

What was the research that went into the book?

Our study offers one of the first real-world glimpses into how a whole-food, plant-based diet can support South Africans living with Type 2 diabetes.

Conducted through a 21-day pilot intervention, the Diabetes Reversal Challenge, the research highlights both the clinical benefits of the dietary approach and the social, cultural, and health-system factors that shape its success.

The study found that participants who adopted the plant-based diet experienced:

• Improved blood sugar control, with downward trends in HbA1c and glucose levels.
• Reduced need for diabetes medication, sometimes within days.
• Weight loss and a smaller abdominal circumference, even without structured exercise.
• Enhanced mood, confidence, and energy, demonstrating psychological as well as physical benefits.
• These improvements motivated participants to keep going, often reinforcing a positive cycle of healthier choices.

What makes this study important is that, unlike tightly controlled clinical trials, this study looked at a real-life pilot implemented in a South African context, where cultural eating patterns, family dynamics, food access, and healthcare guidance play significant roles.

Plant-based dietary changes

Using the socio-ecological model, the researchers show that a plant-based dietary intervention doesn’t exist in isolation. Success depends on:

• Individual motivation
• Family and household support
• Practical tools and education
• Cultural norms around meat and social eating
• Healthcare providers’ knowledge and involvement

This multi-layered perspective is what makes the study stand out.

Some of the key insights from the study include:

• Plant-based diets are feasible, affordable, and clinically promising for diabetes management in South Africa.
• Participants valued support systems such as WhatsApp groups, accessible recipes, and guidance from nutrition-focused chefs.
• Cultural expectations around meat-heavy meals and limited plant-based options in food services can be major barriers.
• Healthcare professionals, from GPs to nurses, showed growing interest in plant-based nutrition once they noticed patient improvements.

This study matters because South Africa faces a growing diabetes crisis, with nearly half of cases undiagnosed and many living with complications that can be prevented.

This study provides early evidence that a whole-food, plant-based approach could be a powerful, low-cost strategy to improve outcomes, especially when supported across family, community, and healthcare systems. It invites healthcare providers, researchers, and policymakers to consider plant-based nutrition not as a fringe concept, but as a viable and culturally adaptable option for managing chronic conditions.

Does the advice in the book just apply to those with Type 2 diabetes, or can it also help people with Type 1 diabetes?

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition where part or all of the pancreas no longer produces insulin. Unfortunately, Type 1 diabetes is a lifelong condition that cannot be reversed.

However, people living with Type 1 diabetes can improve their insulin sensitivity through a healthy diet, which may help reduce their reliance on medication and lower their risk of complications.

Type 2 diabetes, on the other hand, is a slow-onset, lifestyle-related condition and accounts for the majority of diabetes cases in South Africa and globally (more than 80%). It can lead to serious complications such as cardiovascular disease, vision loss, and amputations. Most cases of Type 2 diabetes can be improved through a healthy diet and lifestyle.

A plant-based diet focuses on increasing high-fibre, nutrient-rich foods such as whole grains, legumes, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds, all of which have well-established benefits for controlling blood sugar levels and overall wellbeing. A whole-food, plant-based diet supports health for everyone, especially individuals with chronic metabolic conditions.

While the book mainly centres on recipes, it also includes essays and evidence-based guidance from physicians on how plant-based nutrition can support health. Most of the content is very practical, providing meal plans, shopping lists, and recipes that can help anyone improve their nutrition. For people with Type 1 diabetes, these may help support overall health management, though they do not cure the condition.

What kind of recipes does the book offer, and what’s your favourite recipe?

The cookbook offers a wide range of delicious, oil-free and sugar-free plant-based recipes, from breakfasts to lunches, dinners, and snacks. It has wholesome ingredients such as fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, seeds, and healthy fats, ensuring a balanced, nutrient-rich way of eating. Many recipes celebrate indigenous ingredients, including sorghum and millet porridge, and traditional favourites like ugali (a staple in many African countries), isigwamba, chakalaka, and umqhusho.

Our favourite is Isijingi porridge, a comforting traditional dish made from pumpkin or butternut and maize meal, rooted in isiZulu culture.

Indigenous and traditional foods are higher in nutrients compared to conventional foods, as well as climate-resilient, which makes them an essential food of the future.

What makes your life sweet?

What makes my life sweet is the abundance of delicious, nourishing foods that nature provides, foods that not only sustain our bodies but also serve as medicine. I’m also inspired by the growing global community of healthcare professionals who are committed to integrating food as medicine into their clinical practice.

Where can people find the book and find out more about your work?

The book is available at Exclusive Books. To learn more about PAN South Africa, follow them on

• Instagram (@pan_southafrica)
• LinkedIn (Physicians Association for Nutrition South Africa)
• Facebook (Physicians Association for Nutrition South Africa)
• Or visit their website at www.pan-sa.org