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Power of plants
I’ve seen in the news that a plant-based diet can be good for diabetics — how does this work?
Lisa There are many foods and compounds in a plant-based diet that are beneficial to general health and which have been shown to be both preventative and helpful in treating chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes.
Firstly, it is important to ensure that you are eating whole foods, rather than processed plant-based meat alternatives. This means eating a variety of wholegrains, which include brown rice and pasta, quinoa and wholemeal bread; plenty of colourful vegetables, including dark green leafy vegetables; fruit; legumes, which include lentils, beans and chickpeas; non processed sources of protein such as legumes, tempeh and tofu and smaller quantities of nuts and seeds.
As a nation, we should be aiming for 30g of fibre daily and this is very achievable on a plant-based diet. Fibre reduces the energy density of food, it fills you up and is associated with maintaining a more healthy weight, which in turn promotes insulin sensitivity. Fibre is fermented by the bacteria in your gut to produce short chain fatty acids which can directly lower blood glucose levels and is therefore associated with maintaining more consistent blood glucose levels.
Many plant foods have a low to medium glycaemic index (GI) content and this means that they are broken down more slowly so they do not cause your blood glucose levels to rise quickly. This means that eating plant foods with a low GI content can help you control your blood glucose levels. Some examples of low and medium GI foods are wholegrains, such as rolled oats, brown rice, barley and rye; sweet potato, peas, lentils and beans.
The many antioxidants found in a plant-based diet are highly beneficial for your general health but they may also inhibit glucose absorption, stimulate insulin secretion and result in increased glucose uptake which then results in improved blood glucose control.
In summary, plant-based diets which do not contain coconut oil and are low in plant-based oils in general, are low in saturated fat and high in fibre, fruit and vegetables and protective compounds such as antioxidants and phytochemicals. The current NHS guidelines for type 2 diabetes include eating fruit, vegetables, wholegrains and pulses, and to lower saturated fats and
