After healthy people digest food, insulin transports glucose from the bloodstream to muscle, fat and liver cells. The glucose becomes fuel for various bodily processes. People with diabetes do not make enough insulin, do not respond to insulin normally or both. Consequently, their blood can have high levels of glucose, or sugar. Diabetics must monitor their diet carefully to ensure the foods they eat promote a healthy blood sugar level. Following a vegetarian diet can help.
Function
If diabetics eat the wrong foods, their blood sugar levels can increase, causing blurry vision, excessive thirst, fatigue, frequent urination, elevated hunger and weight loss. Potential long-term complications include life-threatening diseases and dangerous health conditions. However, through strict control of diet to keep their blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol at safe levels, diabetics can reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes, as well as kidney, eye and nervous system diseases, according to PubMed Health, a consumer health website produced by the National Center for Biotechnology Information.
Types of Vegetarians
Diabetics who follow vegetarian diets can effectively manage their diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association. The practices of vegetarians vary widely, but the most common types are as follows: Vegans don't eat eggs, meats or dairy products. Lacto vegetarians don't eat meats or eggs, but they do eat dairy products. Lacto-ovo vegetarians don't eat meat, but they do eat eggs and dairy products. All three approaches can help you manage your diabetes, provided you follow the basic guidelines for all diabetics.
Dietary Requirements
Consult your doctor and dietitian to determine what vegetarian eating plan is suitable for your diabetes. Typically, a healthy diet for diabetics requires limiting foods that contain large amounts of sugar or salt; eating smaller meals; spreading your meals out over the day; monitoring carbohydrate intake carefully; consuming a variety of fruits, vegetables and whole grains; lowering fat intake; limiting alcohol use; and decreasing your salt intake.
Expert Insight
Vegetarian diets often include plenty of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts and legumes, which can improve blood-sugar control and your body's response to insulin, according to MayoClinic.com. If your diet is low in calories -- as many vegetarian diets are -- your healthy body weight also might improve your blood sugar control and your body's response to insulin. This lowers your risk of the potential complications of diabetes and might mitigate the need for diabetes medication. Also, if your vegetarian diet is cholesterol-free, low in saturated fat and high in soluble fiber, you lower your risk of cardiovascular disease, which normally is elevated for diabetics, according to MayoClinic.com.
