It is a misconception to think that a diabetes vegetarian diet can cure your diabetes, but according to the Mayo Clinic, taking on a vegetarian diet in diabetes does offer some benefits over a non-vegetarian diet. For example, a vegetarian diabetes diet could help you better control your weight. It may also help you to reduce your risk of some diabetes-related complications. A diabetes vegetarian diet may also improve your body’s response to insulin and lower your risk of heart disease, which are two of the most important factors in diabetes.
A vegan diet, in particular, may be particularly beneficial to diabetics. Vegans eat only plant based foods. They do not eat any foods from animals; this includes milk, eggs, and cheese as well as meat, fish, and poultry. Studies have shown that people who ate a low-fat vegan diet generally lose more weight and have better control of their blood sugar levels. They also have lower cholesterol levels and better kidney function in diabetes than those who are not on a diabetes vegetarian diet.
Balancing a Vegetarian Diet and Diabetes
If you plan to take on a vegetarian diet for diabetes, you should not make any changes to your diet without talking to your dietician. However, this could be a very healthy decision for you to make because a diabetes vegetarian diet is much higher in fiber, lower in saturated fat, and mostly cholesterol free. Another advantage is that a diabetes vegetarian diet is less costly because meat, poultry, and fish are usually the most expensive food items.
You will, of course, have to learn to balance your diabetes and vegetarian diet correctly. The main concern in this type of diet is a lack of the vitamin B12. So, you may have to begin taking a supplement or multi-vitamin in order to make up for this. Also, you will want to make sure that you eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains to ensure that you are getting enough nutrients.
It is commonly thought that vegans and vegetarians do not get enough protein in their diet. However, research has shown this to be untrue, as long as the vegan/vegetarian eats a variety of plant-based foods that provide protein. Dried beans, lentils, peas, nuts, nut spreads, soy, and soy products should be a central part of any diabetes vegetarian diet in order for it to be healthy. Talking to a dietitian can help you figure out what portion sizes you should eat daily for this type of diet.
