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Going Vegan May Help Control Diabetes, Promote Weight Loss
By Lindsey Getz

While the research isn’t plentiful, there’s evidence that a low-fat vegan diet can help better manage type 2 diabetes, which is often associated with overweight and obesity. This is partially because eating a vegan diet can help contribute to weight loss, assuming the patient regularly eats a healthful variety of vegan foods. Making such a change will most likely seem overwhelming to a patient who has diabetes or is obese, so it will be important for you as the nutrition professional to guide him or her through the lifestyle modifications a low-fat vegan diet requires.

“We don’t have much scientific evidence with regard to a vegan diet and diabetes or obesity, but when you look at populations and compare BMIs, vegans have significantly less overweight and obese people than other populations,” says Brenda Davis, RD, author of multiple books, including Becoming Raw: The Comprehensive Guide to Nutritious Raw Vegan Diets and Defeating Diabetes. “We find that vegans tend to be leaner. And since being overweight or obese increases your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and other conditions, we can assume that a vegan diet can help in those areas.”

A study published in the August 2006 issue of Diabetes Care found that a low-fat vegan diet helps improve glucose control and heart health. The study included 99 people who had type 2 diabetes. Forty-nine subjects followed a low-fat vegan diet while 50 subjects followed a diet based on the nutrition recommendations of the American Diabetes Association. While those who stuck to their diet lost weight and lowered their blood glucose, lipid, and cholesterol levels, these improvements were greater in those who followed the low-fat vegan diet.

Making the Change

Although a low-fat, whole foods vegan diet can be effective, getting your patients to make that switch can be challenging. It’s not unusual for patients with diabetes or who are obese to be hesitant about making even small changes to their diet, so a switch to veganism may seem unattainable.

“I think that only clients who are very motivated to deal with their diabetes or lose weight are going to be interested in making such a big change to their dietary habits,” says Virginia Messina, MPH, RD, a nutrition consultant and coauthor of Vegan for Life and The Dietitian’s Guide to Vegetarian Diets. “But I think dietitians can find ways to help clients see that making the switch to eating more plant foods doesn’t have to be terribly complicated or difficult. One thing I tell people is that when we look at the dinner habits of Americans, we find that most families rely on a rotation of seven to 10 dinner menus. When you look at it that way, it’s not that big of a challenge to come up with seven new dinner ideas that are vegan.”

Messina says RDs should recommend their clients explore cookbooks and try some of the convenience products that make going vegan easier. “Some of the veggie meats are great choices for a family trying to break the meat habit,” she says. “They have the meaty texture and flavor but are much better for you. Some taste better than others though, so I’d encourage families to keep trying if they haven’t found products they like yet. Don’t give up after a first try.”

In most cases, making a gradual change will be most effective. “If you’re going from a high-protein, high-fat diet one day and trying a very low-fat, lower-protein diet the next, it can be a shock,” says Jack Norris, RD, coauthor of Vegan for Life. “I generally recommend people find plant foods they like and incorporate them more and more over time so they’re not as focused on what they can’t eat but rather on what they can.”

However, Norris says if an individual is making the switch to veganism for health reasons, a more abrupt change may be in order not only based on the severity of the situation but also to help the patient stick to the plan. “It sounds counterintuitive, but making bigger changes can be easier than smaller ones because the person will see bigger results and be motivated to stick with it,” he explains.

Davis adds that she’s also seen people gain weight by switching to a vegan diet because they weren’t making healthful food choices. “Sometimes people substitute their meat and potatoes for pasta and bagels, and that’s a big mistake,” she says. “Refined carbs aren’t going to help with weight loss. Clients may need help switching from their meat diet to a vegetable and bean diet with moderated intake of carbohydrate.”

Since these changes can be difficult, Norris says he’s found that the more counseling a person receives from his or her dietitian, the better the outcome. “Weekly meetings tend to be best, at least in the early stages of making the switch to a vegan diet,” he says.

— Lindsey Getz is a freelance writer based in Royersford, Pa.