Our helpline is providing vital support and advice to more people than ever. Help us be there for. Donate today. According to Vegan Life Magazine, the number of vegans in the UK has risen by a whopping per cent over the past decade, with veganism becoming one of the fastest-growing lifestyle choices. But is following a vegan diet healthy, and can it provide all the nutrients your body needs — especially if you’re living with diabetes? Could it actually bring about health benefits? We share the nuts and bolts of eating vegan, and explore how those living with diabetes can practise this safely and with confidence. According to the Vegan Society, ‘veganism is a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose. Vegans follow a plant-based diet avoiding all animal foods such as meat including fish, shellfish and insects, dairy, eggs and honey — as well as products like leather and any tested on animals’.
New research shows a healthy link between veganism and diabetes prevention. In overweight adults with no history of diabetes, a low-fat, plant-based vegan diet has been shown to improve beta-cell function and insulin sensitivity, according to new research published in the journal Nutrients. Accessing the function of beta cells, which store and release insulin, can help determine the risk for future type 2 diabetes.
Worldwide, diabetes has increased steadily and in recent years, drastically. The majority of diabetes cases are type 2 T2DM, caused by modifiable risk factors such as diet. Vegetarian diets have been studied over the past few decades for their preventative and therapeutic effects on diabetes and may be more beneficial than medication for diabetes management. A vegetarian diet characterized by whole plant foods is most beneficial for diabetes prevention and management. Vegetarian diets are inversely associated with risk of developing diabetes independent of the positive association of meat consumption with diabetes development. Vegetarian diets range from vegan no animal products, lacto-ovo-vegetarian no animal meat, but consumes milk and eggs, pesco-vegetarian consumes fish, and semi-vegetarian occasional meat consumption.
The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is rising worldwide, especially in older adults. Diet and lifestyle, particularly plant-based diets, are effective tools for type 2 diabetes prevention and management. Plant-based diets are eating patterns that emphasize legumes, whole grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds and discourage most or all animal products. Cohort studies strongly support the role of plant-based diets, and food and nutrient components of plant-based diets, in reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes. Evidence from observational and interventional studies demonstrates the benefits of plant-based diets in treating type 2 diabetes and reducing key diabetes-related macrovascular and microvascular complications. Optimal macronutrient ratios for preventing and treating type 2 diabetes are controversial; the focus should instead be on eating patterns and actual foods. However, the evidence does suggest that the type and source of carbohydrate unrefined versus refined, fats monounsaturated and polyunsaturated versus saturated and trans, and protein plant versus animal play a major role in the prevention and management of type 2 diabetes. Multiple potential mechanisms underlie the benefits of a plant-based diet in ameliorating insulin resistance, including promotion of a healthy body weight, increases in fiber and phytonutrients, food-microbiome interactions, and decreases in saturated fat, advanced glycation endproducts, nitrosamines, and heme iron.