Nearly 19 million adults in the United States have been diagnosed with diabetes, the American Diabetes Association reports. Diabetes increases the risk of other chronic diseases like end stage renal disease and stroke. If you have diabetes, maintain a healthy body weight, exercise regularly and follow the advice from your health care team. You may also want to add soybeans to your diet to reap their diabetes-specific health benefits.
Slow Digestion
The glycemic index is a measurement of the impact of a food on your blood sugar. Diabetics who eat a low glycemic index diet may have an easier time managing their blood sugar levels. According to the University of Illinois, soybeans have a low glycemic index and are high in dietary fiber -- two factors that slow digestion and mitigate the effect on blood sugar levels.
Heart Disease
Those with diabetes are three times more likely to suffer from coronary heart disease than those without diabetes. Exercising, consuming an abundance of fruits and vegetables and eating omega-3 fat-rich foods can reduce your risk. Additionally, adding soy protein to your diet can significantly reduce "bad" LDL cholesterol, aid in blood pressure management and improve the health of blood vessels, the University of Illinois reports.
Kidney Disease
Kidney disease is a common result of long-term diabetes. Research published in the March 2003 edition of the "European Journal of Clinical Nutrition" discovered that soy protein can boost kidney function in those with diabetes. In this study, researchers from the University of Tehran gave a group of type 2 diabetics a diet rich in soy protein. They found that consuming 30 percent of dietary protein in the form of soy significantly improved the kidney function.
Obesity
Being overweight or obese increases insulin resistance and makes blood sugar management more difficult. Soybeans are naturally low in calories and dietary fat. Replacing high-calorie protein sources like steak, full-fat dairy and eggs in your diet with soy can help you lose weight, the University of Illinois reports. Low-calorie sources of soybeans include tofu burgers, steamed soybeans and soy milk.
References
- American Diabetes Association: Diabetes Statistics
- University of Illinois: Soy and Diabetes
- "European Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Beneficiary effect of dietary soy protein on lowering plasma levels of lipid and improving kidney function in type II diabetes with nephropathy; L Azadbakht, et al.; March 2003
