A plant-based diet can aid Indians in the fight against diabetes, heart ailments

(Image for representational purposes only)

New Delhi: Diabetes, a group of diseases that result in too much sugar in the blood, has been termed a 'silent killer' by doctors and medical professionals across the world.

Because the cells in your body can't turn the blood sugar into energy, the sugar builds up and can damage many parts of your body, such as your heart, kidneys, eyes, and nerves. In the long term, diabetes can cause stroke, heart attack, or coma.

Diabetics have often been advised to maintain a healthy, balanced diet that will help them control their sugar levels.

Similarly, people who suffer from heart problems have been recommended a diet that is devoid of oil and other fats.

More than 69 million people in India have been diagnosed with diabetes according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). Moreover, with 71 million more thought to be prediabetic, India faces a serious public health crisis if nothing changes. India in fact is considered as the diabetic capital of the world.

Addressing this problem, a US-based doctors organisation suggested that the cure to chronic ailments like diabetes and hypertension, that has now engulfed Indians in a big way, lies in traditional plant-based diet and not western food.

Diseases like heart ailment, diabetes, and hypertension can be reversed by eating more rice, lentils, and vegetables staples of the traditional Indian diet – and avoiding dairy products, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine said in a statement.

According to the World Health Organisation, more than 69 million people in India have been diagnosed with diabetes.

With 71 million more thought to be prediabetic, India faces a serious public health crisis if nothing changes. India in fact is considered as the diabetic capital of the world.

Non-communicable chronic diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease, now account for 53 per cent of all deaths in India.

In Mumbai alone, about 80 people die each day from heart attacks, said Zeeshan Ali with Physicians Committee.

Ali however, said diets like rice and flour must have fiber contents like brown rice or whole grain flour which helps in metabolism and thus a great help to those having diabetes.

"With chronic disease rates skyrocketing throughout the country, I feel it is my duty to help other people of Indian-origin learn how to prevent and manage these diseases through the foods they eat," he said.

Ali said the popularity of plant-based nutrition continues to rise in India, with a growing number of actors, musicians, athletes, and politicians raving about the benefits of their vegan diets.

"Bollywood actor Aamir Khan uses a plant-based diet for disease prevention, while actress Alia Bhatt has recently traded in meat for greens and fruit," he said in a statement.

According to Ali, several recent studies have shown that a plant-based diet can fight hypertension, heart disease, and diabetes.

Blood pressure and vegetarian diets, a global meta-analysis in JAMA Internal Medicine, found that a vegetarian diet can lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease, he said.

Another recent study, found that plant-based diets decrease the risks for heart disease and type 2 diabetes and aid weight management, the Physicians Committee said.

Results showed an approximate 20 to 25 percent reduction in heart disease and type 2 diabetes risks as well as lower cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and inflammatory markers for those who consumed plant-based diets.

Long-term adherence to these diets resulted in better weight management. The health benefits of a plant-based diet don't stop there, Ali said.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the world's largest organisation of nutrition professionals, recently concluded that vegan diets are appropriate for all stages of the life cycle (pregnancy, infancy, childhood, etc).

They also help reduce the risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, stroke, obesity, and some types of cancer, he said.

(With PTI inputs)