Tag Archives: Vegetarian Diet

November 14, 2016 · 11:36 PM

What About a Low-Carb Vegetarian Diet for Diabetes?

Spaghetti squash with parsley, olive oil, snow peas, garlic, salt, pepper

Spaghetti squash with parsley, olive oil, snow peas, garlic, salt, pepper

It works for David Mendosa, who’s been doing it for three years. He shares some ideas on how to do it at the link below. From the intro:

About nine years ago, I started to eat only food low in carbohydrates that don’t have a high glycemic index.  I knew that this was the only proven way to bring my blood glucose level down where I wanted it to be without using drugs or supplements. My most recent A1C test showed that my level is 5.1 percent, well within the range considered normal.

While continuing to eat this way, about three years ago I added the further restriction of eating no meat, fish, or seafood. This was a substantial shift in what I was eating, and I made it mainly because I don’t want to be intentionally responsible for the death of animals or other sentient beings. Only later did I begin to realize its health benefits.

Source: How to Manage Your Diabetes with a Low-Carb Vegetarian Diet – Diabetes

David seems to adhere to the lacto-ovo strain of vegetarianism, rather than vegan or pesco-vegetarian. In other words, he’ll eat eggs and milk products but not fish. I suspect he eats under 40 grams/day of digestible carbohydrate.

Here are more of David’s ideas on implementation of a very low-carb vegetarian diet.

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May 19, 2016 · 7:39 AM

Is the Vegetarian Diet Good for Diabetes?

low-carb diet, spaghetti squash, paleobetic diet, diabetic diet

These can be part of a low-carb vegetarian diet

The answer to the headline question is: Maybe.

I was surprised to learn that well-known diabetes writer David Mendosa (Type 2 DM) has switched from a very low-carb diet to a low-carb vegetarian diet, eating no more than 50 grams/day of carbohydrate. Why?

For me the issue is that I don’t want to be responsible for harming sentient beings as much as I can avoid it while still following a healthy diet.

I respect that sentiment.

I’m sure David is monitoring the effects of the diet on his blood sugars and weight. Probably his blood lipids, too.

It sounds like all David had to do was drop fish from his prior diet. He still eats eggs (whites only?), cheese, and full-fat yogurt, so I’d call him a lacto-ovo-vegetarian.

If you’re already convinced that you know the perfect diet for people with diabetes, read no further.

What Is a Vegetarian Diet?

From UpToDate.com:

Vegetarian diets vary considerably depending on the degree of dietary restrictions. According to the strictest definition, a vegetarian diet consists primarily of cereals, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and nuts; animal foods, including milk, dairy products, and eggs generally are excluded. Several less restrictive vegetarian diets may include eggs and dairy products. Some vegetarian diets may be grouped as follows:

●Macrobiotic — Vegetables, fruits, legumes, and seaweeds are included in the diet, while whole grains, especially brown rice, are also emphasized. Locally-grown fruits are recommended. Animal foods limited to white meat or white-meat fish may be included in the diet once or twice a week.
●Semi-vegetarian — Meat occasionally is included in the diet. Some people who follow such a diet may not eat red meat but may eat fish and perhaps chicken.
●Lacto-ovovegetarian — Eggs, milk, and milk products (lacto = dairy; ovo = eggs) are included, but no meat is consumed.
●Lactovegetarian — Milk and milk products are included in the diet, but no eggs or meat are consumed.
●Vegan — All animal products, including eggs, milk, and milk products, are excluded from the diet. Some vegans do not use honey and may refrain from using animal products such as leather or wool. They also may avoid foods that are processed or not organically grown.

A 2012 poll estimated that 7% of U.S. adults eat at least one meal a week that does not include meat, fish or poultry, 4% do not eat meat, fish, or poultry, and 1–2% do not eat meat, fish, poultry, dairy products, or eggs. Roughly 5% of individuals in the UK, Germany, and Australia describe themselves as vegetarian.

Switching to the paleo diet often leads to increased vegetable and fruit consumption

Are Vegetarian Diets Safe?

Vegetarians need to be careful to get enough high-quality protein, iron, vitamin B12, vitamin D, and perhaps calcium. B12 comes only from animal products, as far as I know. You can make vitamin D by exposing your skin to sufficient sunlight. Some vegetarians will need to consult a dietitian to ensure adequate nutrition. (BTW, all my comments about vegetarian diets apply to adults only—I don’t treat children, so I’m not up-to-date on their nutritional needs.)

I’ve written about vegetarian diets for diabetes before: here and here. Dr. Michael Greger couldn’t convince Dr. Harriet Hall (or me) that we should avoid eating all animal products.

The Grashow Question

Someone claiming to be Charles Grashow left a comment on one of my blogs:

As I’ve posted before, this [vegetarian macrobiotic diet] took Insulin Dependent T2D [patients] OFF MEDS within 21 days!

Seems much better – but then again this diet is vegan not paleo!

http://www.hoajonline.com/internalmedicine/2052-6954/2/3
Ma-Pi 2 macrobiotic diet intervention during 21 days in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus, Ghana 2011

http://www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/content/11/1/39
The effect of the macrobiotic Ma-Pi 2 diet vs. the recommended diet in the management of type 2 diabetes: the randomized controlled MADIAB trial

http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jnme/2012/856342/
Medium- and Short-Term Interventions with Ma-Pi 2 Macrobiotic Diet in Type 2 Diabetic Adults of Bauta, Havana

SO – my question is this. Why do you not recommend this type of diet instead? Or does it not fit into your paradigm?

I responded:

Charles, that macrobiotic Ma-Pi 2 diet looks like it has significant potential. I quickly scanned your first link only. For those not familiar with the diet, here’s a description from your first link:

“Vegetarian Ma-Pi 2 macrobiotic diet, designed especially by Mario Pianesi for treating diabetic patients. Total volume of the Ma-Pi 2 diet consisted of 40–50% whole grains (rice, millet and barley), 35–40% vegetables (carrots, savoy cabbage, cabbage, chicory, onions, red radish, parsley), and 8% legumes (adzuki beans, chickpeas, lentils, black beans). As a complement we used gomasio (roasted ground sesame seeds with unrefined sea salt), fermented products (miso, tamari, umeboshi) and seaweeds (kombu, wakame, nori). Bancha tea (theine-free green tea) was the main liquid diet.”

“The assayed Ma-Pi 2 diet is lower in energy than the traditional one recommended for diabetic patients, but safe, with adequate satiating effect due to the high fiber content, adequate in protein (12% of the total energy), with an acceptable amino acid score, low in fat (15% of the total energy), and high in complex carbohydrates (73%). The diet has a high antioxidant capacity and a high content of bioactive compounds with recognized functional properties (Table 2). Foods were elaborated by culinary macrobiotic specialists from UPM, Italy, and offered at the hospital during breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. Unfortunately, the variety of vegetables was restricted because of limited availability.”

I wonder if that would be deficient in vitamin B12.

It looks like it would be worth a try for a type 2 diabetic under medical supervision (some risk of hypoglycemia). I’d like to try a few meals with those ingredients, some of which I’ve never heard of, prepared by someone who knows what they’re doing. Unless I missed it in the link, it might be hard for the average person to replicate that study diet. If I understood correctly, the study participants stayed in a hospital for three weeks and meals were prepared for them.

I don’t have time to hit the other links right now.

-Steve

My Current Stance on Vegetarian Diets For Diabetes

I say “current stance” because I’ll change my mind based on scientific evidence as it becomes available.

I’m not convinced that any of the vegetarian diets is clearly superior to the other available “diabetic diets” in terms of quality of life, longevity, and avoidance of diabetes complications.

We have some evidence that some vegetarian diets may help control diabetic blood sugars and help reduce the need for diabetes medications, at least short-term.

If my diabetic patients want to try a vegetarian diet, I have no objections as long as these criteria are met:

  • it’s a well-designed diet that provides adequate nutrition (which may require a dietitian consultation)
  • blood sugars, hemoglobin A1c, body weight, and blood lipids are monitored periodically
  • the patient is able and willing to self-monitor blood sugars fairly frequently
  • physician oversight, especially for those taking diabetes drugs

Vegetarian diets can be very high in carbohydrate content, which potentially could wreck blood sugar control. If that happens, consider a vegetarian diet with fewer starches and sugars.

Steve Parker, M.D.

PS: Did  you catch that the Ma-Pi 2 diet is “lower in energy than the traditional one recommended for diabetic patients…”? That means a reduced-calorie diet. Drop calories enough on most any diet, and you’ll likely see lower serum glucose levels, reduced triglycerides (and perhaps other lipid improvements), and loss of excess weight.

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July 18, 2013 · 12:47 AM

Dr. Harriet Hall Slaughters Vegan Sacred Cows

diabetic mediterranean diet

“Listen to Dr. Greger!”

I ran across some nutrition-advice videos of Dr Michael Greger six months ago and started following his twittering.  It didn’t take me long to figure out he favors a vegetarian or vegan diet. Dr. Harriet Hall at Science-Based Medicine has Dr. Greger in her crosshairs, challenging many of his claims.  Well worth a read.  An excerpt:

Vegans tell us the Inuit, who lived almost exclusively on food of animal origin, had a short life span. That’s not true. Statistics on the Inuit between 1822 and 1836 showed that their average life expectancy was about the same as that of European peasants of the time who ate a diet overwhelmingly based on bread. 25% of Inuit lived past 60, and some lived into their 80s and 90s.

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November 24, 2009 · 2:00 AM

Are Vegetarian Diets Any Good For Diabetes?

Plant-based diets may offer special benefits to people with diabetes, according to a recent review article by U.S. researchers who reviewed the pertinent English language literature published since 1966.  They found 116 potentially relevant articles, 10 of which were directly related to diabetes management and glucose control.

The authors failed to define “vegetarian” early on.  Some vegetarians eat eggs, some eat cheese, some drink milk.  I assume vegans eat no animal products whatsoever.  On the last page of the review the authors write that a vegetarian “does not eat meat, fish, or poultry” although it’s not clear if that applies throughout the review.  There are many references to “low-fat vegetarian” diets, with little or no mention of moderate- or high-fat vegetarian diets.

The authors often refer to vegetarian diets as “plant-based.”  No doubt, they are.  But even the healthy Mediterranean diet is considered plant-based, while clearly not vegetarian.

It’s also unclear whether they focused on type 1 or type 2 diabetes.  My sense is, probably type 2.

Here are the major points: 

  1. Are vegetarians less likely to develop diabetes?  Observational studies have found a lower prevalence of diabetes among vegetarians compared to non-vegetarians, especially among Seventh Day Adventists.  In other studies, meat consumption is linked to higher risk of diabetes among women. 
  2. Do vegetarian diets help control diabetes?  Several small studies showed that low-fat near-vegetarian and vegan diets improved glucose control and insulin sensitivity and reduced diabetes medication use, compared with a traditional diabetes diet – which is typically low-fat and high-carb.  I’m not sure, but I assume that the intervention diets were not heavy in refined, processed carbohydrates, but instead consisted of natural whole plant foods.  “Weight loss accounts for much although not all, of the effect of plant-based diets on glycemic control,” they write.
  3. Heart disease is quite common in older diabetics.  Do vegetarian diets offer any cardiac benefits?  They cite Dr. Ornish’s Lifestyle Heart Trial of a low-fat vegetarian diet and intensive lifestyle intervention: smoking cessation, stress management (meditation?), mild exercise, and group meetings.  Dr. Ornish’s program reduced LDL cholesterol by 37%, reversed heart artery blockages in 82% of participants, and found 60% lower risk of cardiac events compared to the control group. Dr. Ornish’s Multisite Lifestyle Cardiac Intervention Program also documented impressive cardiac results at 12 weeks, but had no control group.  Dr. Caldwell Esselstyne is also mentioned in this context.
  4. Vegetarian diets are linked to lower blood pressure, which may help prolong life and prevent heart attacks and strokes.
  5. Antioxidant-rich foods like fruits and vegetables—common in the Mediterranean diet and vegetarian diets—may lower cardiovascular disease risk. 
  6. People with diabetes are at risk for impaired kidney funtion.  In women with impaired baseline kidney funtion, high animal protein intake is associated with continued kidney deterioration. 
  7. A small study showed dramatic improvement in type 2 diabetics with painful neuropathy over 25 days on a low-fat vegan diet and a daily 30-minute walk.  Many participants were able to reduce diabetes drug dosages.
  8. Do any diabetes advocacy associations endorse vegetarian diets for people with diabetes?  The American Dietetic Association deems that vegetarian and vegan diets, if well-planned, are nutritionally adequate. I don’t know the position of the American Diabetes Association.  Vegetarians need planning to get adequate vitamin D, B12, and calcium.
  9. “Low-fat vegetarian and vegan diets do not require individuals to limit energy or carbohydrate intake….”  If true (and these guys should know), that might broaden the diet’s appeal.
  10. I saw no mention of decreased overall mortality in vegetarians.

My Comments

Have you heard of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine?  Their president is Neal Barnard, the lead author of the study at hand.  He has a new book on reversal of diabetes with a low-fat vegetarian diet.

The authors cite a journal article (reference #16) in support of plant-based diets, but the article doesn’t mention a vegetarian or vegan diet—it’s high-carb, high-fiber diet.  I didn’t review all 92 of their references to see if any others were misleading.

“Plant-based diets” must be a euphemism for vegetarian diets.  Too many people shut down when you talk to them about vegetarian diets.

I won’t rule out the possibility that vegetarian/vegan diets may be helpful in management of diabetes.  Such diets are, of course, 180 degrees different from the very low-carb diets I’ve reviewed favorably in these pages!  Both models, ideally, move away from the over-processed, concentrated carbohydrates so prevalent in Western culture.  Perhaps that’s the unifying healthy theme, if there is one. 

Or different sub-types of diabetes respond better to particular diets.

I heartily agree with the authors that larger clinical trials of vegetarian diets in diabetics are needed.  I’d love to see a long-term randomized controlled trial comparing a very low-carb diet diet with a low-fat vegetarian diet.  That’s the best way to settle which is better for diabetics: vegetarian or low-carb.

It’ll never be done.

Has a vegetarian diet helped control your diabetes?

Steve Parker, M.D.

Reference:  Barnard, Neal, et al.  Vegetarian and vegan diets in type 2 diabetes management.  Nutrition Reviews, 67(2009): 255-263.   doi: 10.1111/j.1753-4887.2009.00198.x

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