Whole Food Plant Based Diet Works Better Than Diabetic Diet In Treating Diabetes

A whole food plant-based diet consists of eating unprocessed plant foods and excludes the consumption of animal products. Both of these types of foods that are excluded from the diet are associated with the increased risk of diabetes.

A Plant-based diet guards against getting diabetes and also works better in treating diabetes than a diabetic diet. The diabetic diet basically consists of:^[1]

• Limiting foods that are high in sugar
• Eating smaller portions, spread out over the day
• Being careful about when and how many carbohydrates you eat
• Eating a variety of whole-grain foods, fruits and vegetables every day
• Eating less fat
• Limiting your use of alcohol
• Using less salt

A diabetic diet does work at first but loses its punch over time. Compared to a whole food plant-based diet a diabetic diet is restrictive in the amount food and types of nutrients you can consume, which makes sticking to its calorie restrictions difficult.

A whole food plant-based diet allows you to eat all the food you want to eat as long as the food falls within the guidelines of the diet.

You don’t have to eat smaller portions, or watch your carbohydrate, fat, or salt intake. The diet provides these nutrients in their optimal proportions to combat diabetes and science supports this claim.^[2]

A whole food plant-based diet improves reductions in glycemia, weight, and cardiovascular risk compared to the diabetic diet and all diets that contain animal products.^[3] Cardiovascular risk is what kills diabetics the most.^[4]

Both the plant-based diet and the diabetic diet improved insulin sensitivity in the first few months but then plant-based diet significantly pulled ahead as the effects of the diabetic diet declined.^[5]

The plant-based diet significantly lowered LDL cholesterol compared to the diabetic diet and has been shown to reduce atherosclerosis risk.