Good fasting for diabetics

Fasting helps patients with diabetes lose weight, cholesterol . (Photo: TTO)

US and Canadian scientists said on July 28 that a low-fat, non-dairy-based vegetarian diet has a hypoglycemic effect and weight loss in diabetics.

With this diet, patients also reduce cholesterol levels and help the kidneys work better.

In their study, scientists at George Washington University, University of Toronto and North Carolina University divided 100 patients into two groups, one on a diet and one on a vegetarian diet.

As a result, after 22 weeks, 43% of vegetarians were able to stop taking insulin or reducing the dose compared to 26% in dieters.

Vegetarians also lost an average of 6.5 kg compared to dieters who lost 3.1 kg. The sugar and cholesterol levels of vegetarians also decreased more than dieters.

The study is published in the Diabetes Care of the American Diabetes Association.

'I hope this study will be considered for changing diets for diabetics instead of medication adjustments , ' said Dr. Neal Barnard, who helped with the study.

It is estimated that there are millions of people worldwide with type 2 diabetes - the result of a combination of genetic modification, poor diet and sedentary diet. These people are at high risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blindness .

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