Harvard Scientists say Vegan Diets reduce Diabetes & Chronic Diseases
Fresh fruit and vegetables recommended as part of a healthy lifestyle
New research by Harvard scientists shows that following a plant-based diet can reduce your chances of developing diabetes, as reported in the Daily Telegraph.
When analysing a group of 300 000 people on a vegan diet, the report showed that they were 23% less likely to get Type 2 diabetes – the form of diabetes which is linked to obesity. In very general terms the report published in JAMA Internal Medicine illustrates the crucial importance of a plant-based diet in tackling the diabetes epidemic.
“People should choose fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, tofu, and other healthy plant foods as the cornerstone of such diets,” said senior author Professor Qi Sun, a nutritionist at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston.
Benefits of a Vegan diet
Following a Vegan diet has shown to lower cholesterol and increase weight loss. Factors that contribute to this is that plant-based diets such as this is higher in fibre, vitamin C, irons, magnesium and folic acid just to name a few.
There is a compounding positive effect as it also lowers the rate of obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and some other chronic diseases. The vegan diet has been shown to help in increasing the absorption of protective vitamins.
According to a study whereby different plant food is rated to their metabolic rates, the World Health Organization and Food and Agriculture Organization (WHO/FAO), found that consuming foods that are mainly fruits and vegetables would likely lower CVD and osteoporosis. Whole-grain foods were shown to lead to an active decrease in CVD and type 2 diabetes.
Please note whilst the above information shows promising outcomes when a balanced diet is consumed, exercise is also strongly recommended for a healthy lifestyle.
It is estimated that in the UK there are twice as many women following a vegan diet than men. Overall it is estimated that there are at least half a million people in the UK who follow this diet.
