Dr. Ahmed
A diabetic person is usually advised to eat more vegetables and fruits. However, certain fruits and vegetables can cause your blood sugars to rise. Taking refined flour, white rice, and fruits like grapes and mangoes are some examples of a Vegan Diet Causing High Blood Sugar.
What is a Vegan diet?
A balanced diet is essential in the treatment of all chronic conditions. When it comes to diabetes, though, the importance of diet more than doubles.
A well-balanced diet rich in macro and micronutrients not only maintains normal blood sugar levels but also aids in weight maintenance. These are the two most important elements in diabetes treatment.
A vegan diet is a sort of vegetarian diet that includes only plant-based foods or products prepared from them.
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Dairy and eggs, as well as plant-based foods, are included in other varieties such as Lacto-vegetarian, ovo-vegetarian, or both.
However, the vegan diet excludes all other foods except those that are plant-based, such as lentils, beans, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds.
In this article, we will discuss the role of a vegan diet in diabetes treatment especially focusing on a vegan diet causing high blood sugar. We’ll find out if it’s good or dangerous, and how to properly maintain a vegan diet.
Vegan Diet Causing High Blood Sugar:
Although it is said that veganism lowers the risk of numerous disorders. But if it were true, no vegan would ever have a disease.
However, vegans have a lower incidence of type 2 diabetes than non-vegans. This is mostly because vegan diets are low in fat and calories, resulting in weight loss and the prevention of weight gain. A normal BMI is the most important factor in preventing diabetes mellitus.
The key reason for vegans having a low diabetes incidence is their eating choices. A healthy vegan diet rich in plant-based foods such as whole grains, legumes, and nuts has been linked to a reduction in the overall risk of type 2 diabetes.
However, a vegan diet high in refined grains, potato snacks, fruit juices, sweetened beverages, and desserts poses about the same risk as any other high-fat diet.
A study that evaluated the incidence of diabetes between a healthy and unhealthy plant-based diet (PBD) found that an unhealthy PBD increases the risk of T2DM by 16%.
Another study that looked at the prevalence of diabetes among Indians found that there was no significant reduction in diabetes occurrence among Indians. [Ref]
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All of this evidence demonstrates that, when followed correctly, a vegan diet is excellent for the prevention and management of diabetes.
Otherwise, if it is filled with unhealthy foods, it is no different from any other regular diet.
How does a vegan diet cause an increase in sugar levels?
Any good diet might become unhealthy due to poor food choices. A vegan diet can quickly exceed the daily carbohydrate allowance. Several factors can contribute to elevated sugar levels in vegans, including:
The term “veganism” is not well understood in some parts of the world. Vegans in South Asian countries, for example, use butter, ghee, or margarine in their daily cooking.
This animal fat renders the entire purpose of a vegan diet, resulting in weight gain and insulin resistance.
Including white refined grains comprised of simple carbs, such as refined flour, white rice, and refined pasta, causes an abrupt increase in blood glucose levels.
Vegans eat plant-based foods such as lentils and beans. However, if these meals are refined or polished, the nutritional content is gone and just simple sugars are consumed.
Excessive use of fruit juice increases carbohydrate intake. When one entire fruit is consumed, it delivers fiber and fewer calories.
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Fruit juice has double the amount of fruit pulp, doubles the calories, and provides only a small amount of fiber. Aside from that, additional sweets and honey may exacerbate the problem.
Nowadays, many people call themselves “vegans,” even if they eat some animal products, especially if they have been on a rigorous diet for a long time.
Another aspect to consider is that vegans may consume foods that are not considered healthy, such as chips, crackers, refined bread, etc.
A healthy Vegan diet for diabetics:
Following a vegan diet will necessitate extra planning for persons with diabetes.
People with diabetes should maintain their carb consumption consistently throughout the day since carbs affect blood sugar levels more than protein and fat.
Meals and snacks should also be balanced in terms of carbs, protein, and healthy fat, as including non-carb foods in your meal can help lessen the impact of carbs on your blood sugar.
All of this is possible with only plant-based foods, though it may be difficult if you’re new to the vegan diet.
Here are some carbs, proteins, and fats you can use to make meals and snacks if you’re on a vegan diet for diabetes:
- Carbohydrates include whole grain flour, brown rice, potatoes, oats, quinoa, edamame, fruits (low GI), vegetables, and corn.
- Proteins include soybeans and soybean products (tofu and tempeh), beans, lentils, peas, peanuts, tree nuts, nut butter, seeds (chia seeds, flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds), and plant-based meat substitutes.
- Olive oil, avocado oil, avocado, nuts and seeds, coconut, and plant-based spreads are all good sources of fat.
Along with this, a special focus must be on daily physical activity and careful monitoring of sugar levels.
Conclusion:
A vegan diet can be beneficial for diabetes management when followed in a proper way. An unhealthy vegan diet can easily spike up the sugar levels and can be a factor causing high blood sugar.
