More than 29.1 million people in the United States have diabetes. Diabetes is a condition in which the body does not make or correctly use the hormone insulin. Without insulin, sugar can’t get into the cells where it’s needed in the body. Instead, it stays in the blood, causing blood sugar to rise. Aside from affecting the person’s blood sugar, diabetes also can cause digestive issues, cardiovascular problems, skin and eye conditions, and nerve damage. Many people with diabetes are taking medication to maintain their blood sugar and overall health. Most of these medications have many undesirable effects such as gastrointestinal problems, bloating and swelling, and some of the medications can even cause blood sugar crashes. Although the medications
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These poor diet choices can sometimes decrease insulin sensitivity; thus, insulin may not be as effective in their body or their body may not produce enough for the person based on their size. Most of the time medical intervention is required and a diabetic person may be prescribed insulin for injection or some oral medication to regulate their insulin levels or blood sugar. When they’re prescribed medication, a doctor will most likely suggest exercise and a change of diet. This acknowledges not only that the patients diet might not be the best but also that changing the diet will aid in the improving of the patient’s symptoms. Most of the time if a medical professional is speaking with a patient about changing their diet they’re guiding the patient to some form of whole-food plant-based diet. The suggestion might not be to cut out meat entirely but there may be the suggestion to reduce the amount of processed red meat and avoiding processed foods. Vegetarian and vegan diets tend to have a positive effect on a person’s health:
“Because vegetarian and vegan diets are associated with a lower body weight, increased insulin sensitivity, and reduced risk of diabetes, intervention trials have tested their effectiveness for diabetes management. Early studies reported a dramatic decrease in medication use when following a plant-based diet. Subsequent studies demonstrated a greater improvement …show more content…
It may be dangerous for some individuals to stop taking their medications, especially if they have been taking it long term. Most prescription medications require a doctor’s consultation before a person is able to stop taking it, if the doctor thinks this would be harmful to the patients’ health then this should not be done. Though the person can still adopt the plant-based diet, due to potential health risks it is not realistic for some diabetics to use diet as their main form of disease management. Another issue with trying to use a plant-based diet is the fact that it requires a drastic lifestyle change. If the particular diet suggest was vegetarian or semi vegetarian it would require the diabetic to cook at home more or avoid favorite restaurants or give up favorite meals. There may also be a learning curve associated with buying the groceries like knowing which foods stay fresh for what amount of time and adjusting portion sizes. A diabetic person may also be reluctant to make such a drastic change in their life particularly since most diabetics have had to make so many routine changes throughout their life such as: monitoring their blood sugar before and after meals, being prescribed medication and having it adjusted, and some may already have an altered diet for their specific medical needs, and being told to
These poor diet choices can sometimes decrease insulin sensitivity; thus, insulin may not be as effective in their body or their body may not produce enough for the person based on their size. Most of the time medical intervention is required and a diabetic person may be prescribed insulin for injection or some oral medication to regulate their insulin levels or blood sugar. When they’re prescribed medication, a doctor will most likely suggest exercise and a change of diet. This acknowledges not only that the patients diet might not be the best but also that changing the diet will aid in the improving of the patient’s symptoms. Most of the time if a medical professional is speaking with a patient about changing their diet they’re guiding the patient to some form of whole-food plant-based diet. The suggestion might not be to cut out meat entirely but there may be the suggestion to reduce the amount of processed red meat and avoiding processed foods. Vegetarian and vegan diets tend to have a positive effect on a person’s health:
“Because vegetarian and vegan diets are associated with a lower body weight, increased insulin sensitivity, and reduced risk of diabetes, intervention trials have tested their effectiveness for diabetes management. Early studies reported a dramatic decrease in medication use when following a plant-based diet. Subsequent studies demonstrated a greater improvement …show more content…
It may be dangerous for some individuals to stop taking their medications, especially if they have been taking it long term. Most prescription medications require a doctor’s consultation before a person is able to stop taking it, if the doctor thinks this would be harmful to the patients’ health then this should not be done. Though the person can still adopt the plant-based diet, due to potential health risks it is not realistic for some diabetics to use diet as their main form of disease management. Another issue with trying to use a plant-based diet is the fact that it requires a drastic lifestyle change. If the particular diet suggest was vegetarian or semi vegetarian it would require the diabetic to cook at home more or avoid favorite restaurants or give up favorite meals. There may also be a learning curve associated with buying the groceries like knowing which foods stay fresh for what amount of time and adjusting portion sizes. A diabetic person may also be reluctant to make such a drastic change in their life particularly since most diabetics have had to make so many routine changes throughout their life such as: monitoring their blood sugar before and after meals, being prescribed medication and having it adjusted, and some may already have an altered diet for their specific medical needs, and being told to