A vegan diet does not treat diabetes but it will definitely help in managing the disease and prevent its complications from occurring. A key to managing diabetes is proper diet and the vegan diet is ideal to help diabetics in controlling weight, avoid diabetes-associated complications and even help make the body to become more responsive to insulin.

There is no specific vegan diet plan. What makes a diet plan vegan is primarily because of the involvement of many vegetables in the meals and often the avoidance of animal meat such as pork, beef and chicken. It must be noted though that some vegan diet included some dairy products while others don’t. However, a vegan diet primarily involves avoiding animal products and added vegetable oils. The meals primarily involve herbal products such as leaves, vegetables, fruits and flowers.

A vegan diet is ideal for diabetics for two primarily reasons: it usually involve meals that are low in Glycemic index and high on fiber. Thus, it promotes healthy weight because of its lower calories. People taking a vegan diet tend are slimmer, have lower body mass indexes (BMIs) and healthier bodies which in turn are factors in improving blood sugar control and reducing risks of diabetes complications.

Since a vegan diet essentially involves eating vegetables, fruits, and legumes, it definitely helps in managing and maintaining ideal blood sugar levels. Thus, this can translate to less medication or the no need for insulin for people with diabetes. Since a vegan diet primarily helps reduce bad cholesterol with the absence of saturated fat from animal products, it helps diabetic patients prevent the risk of cardiovascular disease, which is a common complication of diabetes.

However, it must be noted that starchy vegetables such as potatoes, white rice and white bread can have a direct effect on increasing blood sugar. Thus, taking a vegan diet does not necessarily allow a diabetic patient to indulge on food. There is still a need to carefully watch food intake and maintain food intake in moderation.

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