Changing your eating habits may be a cornerstone to beating the flood of diabetic symptoms. Millions of individuals, combating diabetes could have a higher success rate by eradicating meat from their meals. Studies have shown that individuals, including vegetables and plant based foods in their daily meals are at a lower risk to procuring diabetes or developing any complicating factors of diabetes and may even be able to reverse the condition. Researchers over the world are now referring to a vegan diet as an “alternative treatment to Type-2 diabetes”.
Perks of a Vegan Diet
A vegan diet comprises of a low fat plant based diet, including rice, fruits, soy products, vegetables, legumes, lentils, wholegrain and nuts. High in fibre, moderate in carbohydrates and cholesterol free, it helps to greatly reduce the blood sugar levels and promotes a feeling of fullness for a longer time. This can thus decrease your appetite and your weight. People on a strict vegan diet develop a body mass index lower than individuals on a non-vegan diet.
A healthy weight promotes a feeling of well being and helps to decrease the risks associated with diabetes. The only downside to a vegan diet is the fact that a vegan diet does not contain vitamin B12, which you will have to take in a supplementary form. Controlling the amount of carbohydrates consumed, in turn helps to accomplish the goal of diabetes management. Doctors and healthcare professionals may help you prepare a diet chart that provides the necessary dietary requirements while suitable to your requirements.
Vegan Diet and Diabetes:
The most imperative goal of a vegan diet is glycemic and lipid control. Eating a purely vegan diet decreases the levels of key blood protein known as glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c). The effect is similar to most of the drugs prescribed as diabetic medication. Higher levels of HbA1c in diabetics induce complications such as eye and kidney failure, amputations and cardiovascular diseases. Eating a pure vegan diet makes the body more responsive to insulin and thus helps reduce the blood glucose levels.
It alleviates the need to take expensive heavy doses of diabetic medications and insulin injections. Without the restriction on proportions, carbohydrates, and calories, a vegan diet might be a new fad among both diabetics and non diabetics alike.
The lipid lowering nature and a low glycemic index marks the importance of a vegan diet. The core process of combating diabetes is to prevent the risks associated with it. The following food groups provide significant benefits such as:
1) Soy Products:
Used as a substitute to meat, it helps preventing the risk of renal diseases, a common complication of diabetes. A low fat diet also helps to keep the cardiovascular diseases at bay by reducing blood pressure.
2) Nuts:
Nuts, such as almonds and walnuts, are the biggest contributors of protein to a vegan diet. Also rich in mono-saturated and unsaturated fats, nuts help to reduce the blood cholesterol levels and glycemic levels.
3) Whole Grain and Legumes
Whole grain and legumes, a central part of vegan diet, have a low glycemic index and helps in the regulation of food intake. This has been known to be a great help in controlling Type-2 diabetes. Whole grains slows down the absorption of carbohydrates and being a low glycemic index food.
4) Dietary Fibre
Dietary fibre is an important part of vegan diet and helps in cholesterol reduction and may control glucose loss from the body via urine. It slows down the absorption of glucose from the intestine, thus lowering the blood glucose levels.
