Vegetarian Diet
A whole food plant-based diet, with no dairy or meat, and low in saturated animal fat, has been shown to be an effective treatment for type 2 diabetes.
Vegetarian diets are high in fibre, antioxidants, and magnesium, all of which have been shown to promote insulin sensitivity. The high concentration of antioxidants such as polyphenols, may also inhibit glucose absorption, stimulate insulin secretion and reduce glucose output from the liver, all of which should improve the game situation in type 2 diabetes.
In addition, the high fibre content helps to improve insulin resistance, promote satiety and feed your microbiome.
Finally, and probably most importantly, plant-based diets tend to promote weight loss and reduce fat storage, alleviating the overcrowding of the fat cells and thereby tackling the root cause of the “diabesty” problem.
The leading proponent of this type of diet is Dr Michael Greger, author of a book provokingly titled: “How Not To Die” which was recently serialised in the Daily Mail.
Once again, as is the wont of most vegetarians, he is not a fan of saturated animal fats, citing them as the cause of obesity and diabetes. However, I have yet to see convincing evidence of this, indeed, one may ask; why are rates of obesity and diabetes exploding at a time when saturated fat consumption is actually decreasing?
My own N=1 view of a vegetarian diet, having tried it for 12 months in my mid thirties, is that it is very good for weight loss, and therefore could successfully be used to reverse diabetes. However, I also lost muscle mass and felt weak towards the end of the year, despite endeavouring to maintain my protein consumption.
So I would not choose it as my ideal diet for Premiership Health.
Website: Nutritionfacts.org
Video: Dr Michael Greger
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