Lower Your Risk of Type 2 Diabetes with Plants
With the countless amount of diseases/illnesses that exist today, it is hard to decipher the many different route causes of one particular sickness. When thinking about diabetes that either occur due to genetics or diet, there is really only a few confounding variables to look at in order to treat the illness.
Type 2 diabetes in the human body is strictly diet related. Your body usually is not able to produce insulin correctly due to the high amounts of blood glucose level that occur from your diet.
In the scholarly article “Fight Diabetes with Plants: Eating a plant-based diet is a good defense strategy and management tool to help combat type 2 diabetes” written by Sharon Palmer, she desrcibes a prevention tactic using a vegan diet to manage, treat, or prevent diabetes. Palmer states:
“ In one study, based on data from the Adventist Health Study-2, researchers found that vegan diets had the greatest protection against type 2 diabetes compared to non-vegan diets, even when they accounted for other lifestyle factors and body fat levels, though all types of vegetarian diets offered some protection compared to non-vegetarian diets” (2018).”
Vegan diets, when done correctly, are full of healthy greens, nuts, fruits, beans, etc.-all being rich in fiber and vitamins. When adding more wholesome food in your that contains less fat, cholesterol, hormones, and processed sugar, it is easier for the internal organs to process. Palmer discusses quotes given from Jill Weisenberger, a diabetes expert, and tells, “‘When people eat less animal foods, they often eat more beans, whole grains, nuts, and other foods with an array of phytonutrients, which may act as anti-inflammatory compounds, antioxidants, and insulin-sensitizers…’”. Given the nutrients found in vegan, plant based foods, there is a large connection to having a healthier system.
Tweaking minor things in your diet could make major changes in the long run when thinking about diabetes and other illnesses that occur due to bad eating habits. Plants provide the body with vitamins and nutrients that are from the ground. Given this natural food, it is able to provide the body with healthful benefits internally and externally. Blood sugar is something that plays a key role in regulating normal processes that occur in your body and keeping levels intact help ensure positive body function.
In order to make wiser decisions when it comes to your diet and implementing vegan habits, Palmer suggests the following:
- “Focus on Plant Proteins”
- “Add a Whole Grain to Each Meal”
- “Push those Veggies”
- “Let Fruit Be Your Dessert’’ (2018)
Sources Used:
Palmer, S. (2018, December). Fight Diabetes with Plants: Eating a plant-based diet is a good defense strategy and management tool to help combat type 2 diabetes. Environmental Nutrition, 41(12), 6. Retrieved from http://link.galegroup.com.gate.lib.buffalo.edu/apps/doc/A562868103/HWRC?u=sunybuff_main&sid=HWRC&xid=45792e7a
