• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Has anyone done well going vegan?

M

Mollyc1995

Well-Known Member
Messages
133
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
i haven’t yet been diagnosed with diabetes I have to go in for a second blood test as the doctor thinks it is diabetes....

Has anyone tried a vegan diet? When looking into research I’ve read a lot of videos and videos on how a wholefood vegan diet has better results lowering blood sugar and even reversing diabetes (type 2).....a lot of people’s success stories have said they eat all kinds of fruits, healthy carbs like quinoa, whole grain pasta (moderation) whilst ensuring you eliminate fat like oils and butters/spreads.....

I’m not really a meat eater and wanted to try a plant based diet....has going vegan helped any of you?
 
One thing to be aware of. It is very difficult sticking to a low carb diet, essential for blood sugar control, when on a vegan diet.
Fruits, wholegrain or otherwise pasta, bread, rice, potatoes are all vegan basics but totally unsuitable for T2 diabetics. Similarly pulses. On the other hand, animal fats are the best for us. Plant oils are not. The decision is yours of course - and don't forget all the supplements you will have to take because you are not eating dairy, meat and fish.

Please be aware that many of these videos and podcasts are published by radical vegans, with no scientific back up. Make sure you research who is behind the information and do your research.
 
Have to be honest, haven't tried it, but that said, a lot of the examples you mention are high in carbs, and practically all carbs turn to sugar once ingested. Wouldn't touch ém with a 10 ft. pole. But from what I understand, it can be done. (And safely, without deficiencies in vitamins and minerals.) Just a sec, I'll look up the page.

Ah, here it is:
https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/keto/vegetarian

Dietdoctor.com has a whole team of specialists working on it, so it's not just someone on the web who calls themselves a nutritionist or lifestyle coach or whatever... They can get really specific on the how's and why's. I hope this helps!
 
Assuming insulin resistance, which in this context one must, I would be amazed if anyone has ever genuinely reversed diabetes, a condition caused by excessive carbohydrate ingestion, by using a diet where most of the energy comes from carbohydrate. I’ll stop short of saying it’s impossible, but I think you’d have to have alien biology in order for that to work.

I’m calling vegan propaganda on that one.
 
About a year ago before diagnosis I was considering switching to a vegan diet. Now, after diagnosis, I can't even really consider it, because a lot of vegan staples are just too high in carbs for my body to handle, as I am Type 2. The idea of whole foods such as grains/wholewheat foods being good for diabetes is one pushed onto us by the NHS and government, but actually, Type 2s generally can't manage them. "Healthy carbs like quinoa" aren't really all that healthy for us. Some people might be able to eat a small portion of these things with minimal effect, but us Type 2s are generally all sensitive to carbohydrates. Many of us follow a low carb high fat diet.

That being said, I wouldn't make any drastic diet changes until you know for sure what is going on - whether you are or aren't diabetic, and what type you may have. Diabetes treatment changes depending on type and other factors. It's great that you're reading up on things and educating yourself and I know it's hard, but try not to stress about it too much until you have your result, as there may not be anything to worry about.
 
from the page you linked to:


its seems that low carbing and veganism are not really possible, if one is going low enough to avoid blood sugar spikes.
 
lucylocket61 said:
from the page you linked to:



its seems that low carbing and veganism are not really possible, if one is going low enough to avoid blood sugar spikes.
Click to expand...
It can be done, but it's not advised... Supplements could help avoid deficiencies. But they are likely to happen. There's other people here who do it tho'.
 
Do we have any LCHF vegans on here who have successfully controlled their blood sugar levels? if so, I would love to hear from you to find out more about how to do it with fewer than 80g of carbs a day please.
 
During my research I watch as many sides as I can, as often there are snippets in the other sides view point that can round out knowledge. I also believe one shouldn't live in an echo chamber.

If I had no alternative but to go Vegan, then I would reference either Dr. Gabriel Cousens or Dr Fuhrman's protocols
https://www.drfuhrman.com/library/eat-to-live-blog/114/5-best-foods-for-diabetes. Both advocate low glycaemic options for diabetes treatment. For further balance I would optimise using Nicole Moore's methods:


This chap, Dr. John McDougall, I would have no time for, possibly the worst positioning ever, so rude:

 
Low carb eating (which includes animal products) has an excellent track record of normalizing blood glucose in Type 2 diabetes - that's the reason why the NHS is now letting doctors prescribe the online low carb program offered by this website, it has saved the NHS over a million pounds in prescription drug costs last year (as verified by an independent study). There are many other studies showing how low carb is beneficial to Type 2 and the Royal College of General Practicioners is now offering an online course for doctors on Type 2 diabetes and low carb eating (which does include animal based products.) There are no studies I've seen in the professional medical literature about veganism normalizing blood glucose in Type 2s.

Although it's possible to be an ovo-lacto vegetarian and eat low carb, to be a vegan and low carb would be very difficult.

The biggest issue with veganism would be protein sources - many of the sources vegans use for protein are high in carbs which break down into the body as sugar. (see the graphic below) For example dried beans and lentils (which I enjoyed before my diagnosis) spike my blood glucose terribly so I no longer eat them. A lot of people avoid soy products because of GMOs and/or phytoestrogens (which can have an effect on estrogen positive breast cancers. This is out for me because I have a family history of breast cancer on both sides and I'm considered high risk.) That leaves nuts, seeds and nut butters as the only primary source of protein. As well, the vegan diet tends to be very heavy on grains which again are high in carbs and break down in the body as sugar. Fruit is very high in natural sugars and many of us avoid most fruits because they spike blood glucose (berries are the lowest carb) as do the starchy vegetables (potatoes, sweet potatoes and corn.)

Fortunately I'm an ominivore so I don't find eating low carb difficult after the initial adjustment. ( I eat lots of lower carb vegetables but I also eat meat, eggs and cheese more often since my diagnosis because they are very low carb.)
 

Attachments

  • carbs become glucose.jpg
    60.1 KB · Views: 448
Last edited:
 
I was a vegetarian for many years but when diagnosed with type 2 I had to include chicken and turkey plus oily fish. The amount of wholemeal food in a vegan and even vegetarian diet certainly no longer suits my digestion. I eat one slice of 50/50 crustless bread a day limit fruit to one portion eat limited choice of veggies, but eat full fat everything else. I was 10 years without medication now on one slow release metformin. Will be 76 next birthday, so not all the guidelines are correct, do what suits you and keeps your diabetes in check
 
Hello there, @Mollyc1995 - As you can see, the vegan approach isn't all that popular on this forum, but then, maybe we just don't have that many T2 vegans, who are managing their diabetes via their way of eating.

The site does have a vegetarian area, and I'm sure, if you read around it, you would likely encounter some vagn members there:

https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/category/vegetarian-diet-forum.71/

I'm not a vegetarian myslef, so don't really have much personal wisdom to offer you.

Good luck with it all, if you have crossed the line.
 

I was vegetarian almost vegan on diagnosis. I am absolutely convinced that played a huge part in it for me as it was, with hindsight, so high carb - lentils, beans, chickpeas, sweet potatoes, rice etc. It was a “healthy plant based diet” (think Deliciously Ella) with very very few refined carbs as the occasional treat and lots and lots of veggies. I had been a meat eater before. I am slim and I was hit by the shock diagnosis after a random blood test.

I just think my body doesn’t like any carbs and this pushed me over the edge. As I returned to my pre vegetarian diet of meat and leave out the potatoes etc and stay under 20g if possible, my Hba1c went from 112 to 36 in 3 months without meds and stayed that way for 7 months now. I will never go back and I wish you all the best if you try. I may have been unlucky but if you have a lower Hba1c it might work if you are very careful. I’d recommend reading Primal Body, Primal Mind.

Ps. I should add that I physically feel so much better being back on meat.
 
Last edited:

You can go Vegan Keto to tackle type 2 or pre-diabetes but it is more difficult than a sfandard Keto diet and you have to supplement yourself with various vitamin tablets. Its also very expensive and the vast majority of Vegan Keto protein & fat are sourced from plants which grow in the Americas such as Avocados & Soy Beans. Expect high prices.

If you want to eat less animal products it is advisable to just eat Eggs, Oily Fish and Cheese as your protein & fat sources. These foods have an incredibly low insulin Index and Fish such as Mackerel are now being sustain-ably farmed around the world.

There is a lot of pressure within social-groups which push the Vegan lifestyle. I am no stranger to it. I am part of various climate change / green groups and Vegans usually hold a strong position. There is a lot of virtue signalling that goes on.

The majority of Vegans I have encountered on social media are very hostile to diabetics and often have no time for diabetics individual blood glucose records; instead Vegans tend to link selective studies to prove their biased points in order to shame people to give up animal products. If you are experiencing this don't try and argue your own individual point because a lot of radical Vegans view their diet as a religion. Your wasting your time. You need to find out what works for you and sod what anyone else thinks.
 
I'm vegan and t1 diabetic. I've been diabetic for 20 years. i have been vegan for 18 years with a 2 year break in the middle. I've been vegetarian for 8 years before that.
low carb significantly helps my diabetes control. i have found a way to do that to a sufficient degree to keep my blood sugar good enough but its hard psychologically and sometimes the carbs are too much for my body or to count as true low carb as i eat pulses and quinoa for my protein. the easiest diet for control was fish and veg. the best diet for veggie morals and OK control was quinoa, soy, veg, nuts. I am a carb addict though and when I eat carbs that stops me craving protein...doing slow work to chang e this. i do eat fish occasionally if my body is shouting at me to do it but I hate doing it ( taste and ethics wise) and it normally only happens because ive not been eating enough veggie protein.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn More.…