Diabetes is a medical condition where your blood sugar levels far exceed the norm. The disease has two forms: type-1 sets in if your pancreas halts the production of the critical hormone insulin that controls your blood sugar, while type-2 takes place if your body somehow gains immunity to insulin. By far type-2 diabetes is the more common variant. It is usually triggered by excess fat accumulated in human muscles and livers. It should not come as a surprise that nine out of 10 diabetic patients are overweight.
A lot of Americans suffer from diabetes. The American Diabetes Association website counts more than 30 million cases in the United States alone. That's more than nine percent of the population. Every year doctors diagnose 1.5 million new cases.
Both types of diabetes can be controlled with drugs such as intravenous insulin injections. But the disease is still considered to be deadly because runaway amounts of sugar in the blood can severely disrupt the functions of vital organs. Blindness, kidney failure, heart attacks and strokes are just some of the devastating complications that can be expected to follow the onset of diabetes.
However, there is hope. Studies have shown that a plant-based diet can mitigate or reverse the progress of type-2 diabetes. There are recorded cases of long-term patients who were able to forego their need for insulin in as little as two weeks. (Related: Beat diseases such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease and dementia by choosing the right foods.)
According to Dr. Greger, the more plants present in your diet, the better your chances at overcoming diabetes. The majority of plant-based foods are rich in nutrients and low on calories. These qualities make them a very popular choice for people who want to shed pounds. It also makes for an ideal and natural way to treat diabetes without resorting to artificially-made pharmaceuticals.
Furthermore, the unsaturated fats found in edible plants such as avocados, nuts, and olives are studied to be healthier. They counter the ill effects of the saturated fats found in animal products such as dairy, eggs, and fish. Unsaturated fats can hurt muscle cells and leave nasty byproducts in your blood, which may contribute to diabetes.
Dr. Greger recommends variety in any plant-based diet to improve your resistance to diabetes. Adding just two different kinds of fruits and vegetables to your weekly groceries can reduce the risk of type-2 diabetes by as much as eight percent.
Beans, legumes, and pulses (the edible seeds of pod-bearing plants) are all good choices for green additions to your diet. There are numerous studies that show people who eat chick peas, lentils, and split peas enjoy lower weights, slimmer figures, and better blood pressure. In fact, one particular study discovered that eating a kilogram of pulses each week is better at inducing weight loss than skipping 500 calories a day.
You are what you eat. And practicing a healthy diet with plenty of greens and legumes that are rich with unsaturated fat is a crucial step in fighting the modern-day plague that is diabetes. Read Food.news for more daily headlines on healing foods.
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