Did You Know…that eating a plant-based diet can reverse diabetes and prediabetes?
Diabetes now affects more Americans than ever before. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 29 million Americans are diabetic, and another 86 million are teetering on the edge of the disease with prediabetes.
Prediabetes means blood sugar levels have escalated outside of normal range but aren’t high enough to warrant a type 2 diabetes diagnosis. However, a prediabetic’s risk for full-blown diabetes, heart disease, and stroke is greatly increased!
The good news is you can avoid this fate. A recent report published in the journal Cardiovascular Diagnosis and Therapy reveals that a very simple dietary adjustment can reverse diabetes, improve blood sugar control, promote weight loss, and lower blood pressure and LDL cholesterol.
A Plant-Based Diet More Effective than Diabetes Drugs!
Researchers from the United States and Japan came together to analyze the effects of a vegetarian diet on type 2 diabetes. Using data from 6 out of 477 reviewed studies, researchers determined that patients who switched to a plant-based diet showed significant improvement in blood sugar control.
For instance, a 2006 study funded by the National Institutes of Health showed that a vegetarian diet improved hemoglobin A1C—a major marker of blood glucose control—by as much as 1.2 points in 22 weeks. This might not seem like a grand leap, but for those familiar with diabetes indicators, it’s a major boost. In fact, no diabetes drug comes close to such improvement!
Results also showed that eliminating meat from the diet improved hemoglobin A1C by as much as 0.7 points with an overall average of 0.4 points. Researchers noted that a plant-based diet could be the key to freeing the 115 million Americans with diabetes or prediabetes from expensive diabetes drugs.
The Health Benefits of Vegetarian Living
Even the American Dietetic Association notes a number of health benefits associated with vegetarian diets, including:
- Lower blood cholesterol levels
- Lower risk of heart disease
- Lower blood pressure levels
- Lower risk of hypertension and type 2 diabetes
- Lower body mass index (BMI)
- Lower overall cancer rates
Making the switch to a vegetarian diet can be difficult, especially for those who love meat. If you’re a cook, then make it fun by trying out some decadent vegetarian recipes. For those who’d rather not slave away in the kitchen, then start by frequenting five-star vegetarian restaurants… sure to convince you that plant-based fare is just as satisfying as meat dishes!
If you just can’t imagine giving up meat, then start with one animal at a time while increasing your intake of plant-based foods. Let go of red meat and pork and opt for turkey, chicken, and fish dishes. Eventually give up the birds and eat a pescatarian diet. There’s no need to let go of fish entirely. Seafood is a wonderful source of omega-3s!