Vegetarian Diet and Diabetes

Diet is an important tool in regulating diabetes. There is growing evidence that a vegetarian diet may be very beneficial in reducing calories, choleresterol and insulin resistance as well as increasing overall health. Therefore, vegetarianism should be viewed as an important part of a diabetes treatment plan.

The Facts

Diabetes affects more than 20 million people in the United States---7.0 percent of the population. For diabetics, food can literally be a matter of life or death. A healthy diet is essential to controlling blood sugar levels and preventing complications often associated with diabetes.

Research

The results of a study conducted by the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas and published in the May 2000 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine (http://content.nejm.org ) showed that vegetarian diets, which are rich in fiber, can significantly lower blood glucose and cholesterol levels as well as reduced hyperinsulinemia (excessive insulin levels in the bloodstream).

And according to an article published in Diabetes Care, a low-fat vegan diet can help people with diabetes lower their doses of diabetes medicine.

Types

There are three main categories of vegetarians---lacto-ovo-vegetarians, who consume eggs and dairy products such as milk and cheese; lacto-vegetarians, who consume dairy products but not eggs; and vegans, who consume neither eggs nor dairy. In all of these cases, the diet is centered on fruit, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds---low fat, low cholesterol, and high fiber diet.

Benefits

A vegetarian diet tends to be lower in calories than an average, meat-based diet, which generally results in weight loss for those on such a diet. For diabetics, weight loss can help reduce cells' resistance to insulin, which in turn allows the cells to process sugar better.

In addition, a vegetarian diet tends to have less fat and cholesterol, which minimizes the risk of other complications from diabetes, such as heart and kidney disease, two of the most common complications.

Considerations

If you are considering switching to a vegetarian diet to help control your diabetes, always consult your physician first. And take a gradual approach, perhaps first just cutting out red meat, then proceeding to other kinds of meat and poutry. And remember too that you don't have to switch entirely to a vegetarian diet to benefit from having more veggie food in your diet.

One final thought: Diet is only part of the equation. Regular exercise is also a key ingredient in the maintenance and control of diabetes and a necessary one for living a full, healthy life.