Vegan diet: Is a plant-based diet good for people with diabetes?

A healthy diet plays an important role in increasing or decreasing diabetes. Diabetes patients have to make many changes in eating, drinking and lifestyle. Diabetes patients can get relief by making one such change. That is a vegan diet. A vegan diet is a completely plant-based diet which can be followed to reduce blood sugar levels, high blood pressure and cholesterol.

Although a vegan diet is not the only diet that can control diabetes, but this diet can definitely help in managing diabetes. A vegan diet also has many drawbacks but it can give many times better results than a carb diet. Let us know about the benefits of a vegan diet for diabetes.

How does vegan diet work in diabetes?

A vegan diet is a complete meat and dairy product-free diet. This can be a nutritious way of eating. According to Healthline, it is necessary to do complete planning and mental makeup to follow a vegan diet. In a vegan diet, special attention is paid to whether the diabetic patient is getting enough nutrients from the diet or not. It is very important to maintain a balance of carbs, proteins and healthy fats in a vegan diet.

Diet for carbs can include flour, rice, oats, potatoes, quinoa and fruits. On the other hand, beans, peanuts, dry fruits, pulses and seeds can be used for protein. Olive oil, nuts and seeds oil, coconut or avocado can be consumed in fats.

Benefits of a vegan diet in diabetes

Insulin sensitivity- The level of insulin resistance can increase in type 2 diabetes. Insulin is a type of hormone that helps in maintaining the glucose level present in the body. Increasing insulin sensitivity can help maintain blood sugar levels. In such a situation, taking a vegan diet can naturally increase insulin sensitivity. For this, the need to take insulin from above is less.

Weight management- Vegan diet can also help people with type 2 diabetes to lose weight. The amount of fat and calories in a vegan diet is very low, due to which insulin sensitivity improves. Also, being a plant-based diet, it helps in reducing weight.

Blood Sugar Management- Vegan diet does the work of blood sugar management very well. Compared to a normal diet, the amount of calories and sugar in a vegan diet is less, which helps in controlling diabetes. Green leafy vegetables are used more in this diet which maintains the blood sugar level.