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NEED ANOTHER REASON TO GIVE UP MEAT? READ ON
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by
Sarah Veale
September 14 - 20, 2006 |
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If you’re among the two million diabetics in Canada who have
trouble keeping their blood glucose in check, you may want to
change your diet. Radically. A study conducted by Canadian and
American researchers published in Diabetes Care, the journal of
the American Diabetes Association, suggests the key to keeping
diabetes under control may lie in going veg.
The study divided 99 individual into two groups, one that
followed a no animal product vegan diet and another that tailored
individual meals according to ADA guidelines. While both groups
showed improvement of diabetic indicators, those in the vegan
group had, in most cases, drastically better results than those in
the ADA group.
Are vegans surprised to hear the news? “Not particularly,”
says Kathleen Farley, Executive Director of the Toronto Vegetarian
Association. For Farley this is just another in a long line of studies
that show the same thing, those who adopt a plant–based diet
are, overall, healthier than those who don’t.
“Historically speaking, there have been lots of studies done,
particularly among the Seventh Day Adventist population, 40 per
cent of whom already follow a meatless diet,” she says. In fact,
the rate of diabetes amongst Seventh Day Adventists is less than
half of the general population. What’s more, SDA’s are hardly
alone in this phenomenon as parallel stats can be found in similar
communities. “Even if you look at other world populations,
diabetes has also historically been less common among Asians
who traditionally eat plant–based diets. Yet their rates of diabetes
will climb up to 400 per cent as soon as they move to North
America and adopt western eating habits.” Based on these
numbers, Farley feels the disease is more than a genetic problem.
“There has to be something in the diet that’s changing.”
Health professionals have always known that diet played an
important role in the maintenance of diabetes, especially Type 2
diabetes, that according to the Canadian Diabetes Association,
comprises 90 per cent of all cases. In fact, typical remedies for
those diagnosed included reducing carbohydrates and caloric
content, a method that focuses on weight management to curb
the disease’s effects. However, it’s this emphasis on calories
consumed and carbs burned that this most recent study
challenged, and disproved.
Those in the vegan group could eat as much as they wanted,
as long as the foods were not animal products or high in added
fats, whereas those in the ADA group had portion–controlled diets
which focused on caloric intake. The results showed it wasn’t how
much you eat, but what you consume that matters.
On average, vegans lost more weight (14 pounds to six for
non–vegans), reduced their cholesterol by nearly double the
amount, lowered their blood sugar more, and were able to lessen
their reliance on medications in greater numbers than those on
the ADA diet. Why such a strong showing amongst the vegans?
Researchers feel it has a lot to do with fiber.
Fiber reduces cholesterol and blood glucose levels in
addition to being more ‘filling’ than straight carbohydrates. Foods
high in refined carbs (such as breads, cereals, or processed foods
high in sugar) are bad for diabetics, increasing caloric content
and triglyceride levels, something deadly for those experiencing
insulin resistance.
Vegetarians, however, consume 50–100 per cent more fiber
than non–vegetarians (that number is even higher for vegans),
and these dietary differences may be affecting how the body
processes food. “While diets high in refined carbohydrates may
increase triglyceride concentrations, high–fiber and low–glycemic
index foods appear to have the opposite result,” said the study,
concluding that, “a low–fat, plant–based diet influences nutrient
intake and body composition in several ways that may, in turn,
affect insulin sensitivity.”
In Canada, the number of people with diabetes is expected
to rise to three million by the end of the decade. Health
complications for those with diabetes include heart disease,
kidney disease, blindness and erectile dysfunction. It’s a tall order
for a disease that given the results of this study, some are
starting to think is preventable.
While scientists warn that more research is needed,
vegans, frequently pestered with questions about their diet’s
validity, see this study as yet more good news for plant eaters.
“It’s a very healthy way to go,” says Farley. “The benefits are
endless, really.” V
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