Can Blood Sugar Levels Be Lowered With a Vegetarian Diet?

From the time you were told your blood sugar levels were high and you were on the road to developing type 2 diabetes, you have heard about the need to make major changes to your eating plan and to lose weight. So how much of a change have you thought about making? Have you wondered if a vegetarian diet could help you to beat diabetes and help with your weight loss?

Now here is evidence that it might actually work. A research article printed in the Diabetes Care Journal and reported by the Mayo Clinic, showed that forty three per cent of diabetics reduced their anti-diabetic medications after switching to a low fat vegan diet. The reason for this was the fact that vegetarian diets improved the responsiveness of the body to insulin which then resulted in a lower blood sugar level. Isn't that good to hear?

Vegetarians mostly eat vegetables and may include dairy and egg. Some (semi-vegetarians) may eat a little fish occasionally, while vegans do not eat animal meat and anything that comes from animals including eggs and milk. They eat only plant foods.

A vegetarian diet is most definitely high in fiber and phytochemicals which is what a person with type 2 diabetes really needs to eat to lower their blood sugar levels, and includes:

an unlimited amount of vegetables including plenty of leafy greens
fruits
whole grain products
nuts and seeds
legumes (dried beans and peas)

Besides lowering your blood sugar levels, a vegetarian diet:

is low in cholesterol and saturated fats that are usually high in a non-vegetarian diet. This of course is a great benefit to type 2 diabetics with high cholesterol levels
it could also aid in the prevention of kidney disease
and there is more, a vegetarian diet is lower in calories than a non-vegetarian diet. This means it would also help with weight loss (although you can lose weight on a non-vegetarian diet also)
As with all food plans, total benefits would depend on what you choose to eat. If you were to eat sugary foods such as jams and sweetened dark chocolate, then it would not lower your blood sugar levels.

This type of diet still needs to be balanced, your intake of vitamin B12 will be reduced by half when vitamins in animal products are not replaced. B12 deficiency leads to different medical conditions including anemia ... it is wise for you to talk to your health care provider or a registered practicing dietitian if you are planning to make a change to a vegetarian diet.

To get the most from a vegetarian diet it is best to use a vegetarian diet pyramid to guide you so you don't get a disturbed balance between the amount of protein and carbohydrate in your diet.

To download a copy of my free E-book, click here now: Answers to Your Questions - it's based on many questions people with type 2 diabetes have asked me over the last few months.

Beverleigh Piepers is a registered nurse who would like to help you understand how to live easily and happily with your type 2 diabetes.