Paleo Diet and Diabetes: Connecting the Dots

Knowing the connection between the Paleo diet and diabetes is a natural course of action considering that the said diet claims to make you healthier. If a diet makes such a claim, experts, researchers, and medical professionals will have to place that on trial to prove how true the claim is. Otherwise, all those who decide to stick to this diet for the hope of becoming healthier will merely be following blindly based on stated claims and not on hard evidence.

What is Diabetes?

This is essentially the inability of a body to regulate insulin production. There are two main types of diabetes: Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 diabetes consists of just about 5% to 10% of those afflicted with this disease. It is a condition where the pancreas produces very little insulin or none at all. The patient will have no choice but to have regular injections of insulin to regulate his or her blood sugar levels. Type 2 diabetes affects about 90% of sufferers. In this case, the body is unable to use the insulin that it makes. While type 1 is thought to be caused by an autoimmune disorder, type 2 has a stronger link to diet and lifestyle. Ingesting too much sugar or carbohydrates (which turn into sugar in the body) will prompt the pancreas to produce large amounts of insulin and if this happens frequently, the receptor cells in the body will become less sensitive until your system does not react appropriately even if you have enough insulin. Insulin resistance results to inability to remove sugar from the blood, hence the high levels. This is why people with type 2 diabetes are also commonly overweight. With proper diet, type 2 diabetes can be managed and even reversed. The traditional diet for diabetes must contain complex carbohydrates, fiber, healthy fat, and low salt. This is the good thing with Paleo because even if you have diabetes, you can still enjoy your Paleo meringue cookies, which contains healthy ingredients. As a warning, not managing your diabetes can result to damaged kidneys, retinopathy, stroke, and even heart attack.

Scientific Studies

Several studies have been done to see the effects of the Paleo diet on diabetes. In one study consisting of 29 diabetic patients, 14 of them were made to eat a Paleo diet while the other 15 ate a Mediterranean diet that includes low fat dairy, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats. The result after 12 weeks was amazing. Those who ate the Mediterranean diet saw no change in their blood sugar levels while those in the Paleo diet had normal blood sugar after the study. It was also observed that Paleo eaters lost some inches around their waists. Researchers attribute this success to the Paleo diet that did not contain any grains and dairy products.

In another study, the focus was placed on the level of satiety, or the ability of the food to satisfy your hunger for a longer deal of time. The participants in this study were also diabetics and they were divided into two groups. One group ate a Paleo diet while the other included grains and dairy products. Their meals were measured and weighed, and the participants were then asked how satisfied they were after a meal. It was found that those eating a Paleo diet ate lesser calories to feel full yet have the same level of satisfaction as those eating a traditional diet. Consequently, it was observed that those eating Paleo have experienced weight loss and have lower sugar levels after the study. There is just one catch. Paleo eaters complained that their food was boring and bland and so they wonder if they will be able to stick to it for long term to continue reaping the health benefits.

Quality vs. Quantity

In both studies, it showed that the quality of carbohydrates plays a major role over quantity. Hence, if you have diabetes, counting calories should not be your focus but instead you must ensure that you only choose complex carbohydrates, which take longer to digest. This means that as it turns into sugar in the body, it does so gradually and that regulates the production of insulin. Blood sugar levels will be stabilized instead of shooting up and down.

Paleo Diet Tips

As mentioned, one observation during the study is the inability to adhere to the Paleo diet. There are many ways to solve this. First, experiment in the kitchen to create amazing and delicious Paleo recipes. If you are not good at this, then turn to recipe books for Paleo eaters. They do not only contain fascinating recipes but are filled with meal plan suggestions so you do not have to worry every day. Second, always keep in mind the Paleo diet benefits. If it can help you manage your diabetes so that you no longer have to take medicines or inject yourself with insulin, then it is very much worth sacrificing the unhealthy processed foods that you used to eat.

Now that you know the connection between the Paleo diet and diabetes, you have more reasons to remove all those unhealthy foods from your pantry. It is time to be more conscious of the food that you put in your body if you want to live longer and avoid the complications of this alarming disease.