Can a vegan diet raise blood sugar and triglycerides? – breaking latest news

I’ve been following a vegan diet for a while and I’m convinced that I do it out of respect for animals and the environment, however, surprisingly, I did blood tests and found several values ​​that were off, including blood sugar and triglycerides: how is that possible?

He answers Stefano Erzegovesinutritionist and psychiatrist, expert on eating disorders (GO TO THE FORUM)

A scientific work published in the prestigious magazine The Lancet highlighted that the transition to a more plant-based diet is not only recommended but even mandatory if we want to save mankind on the planet. The indications of Walter Willett, the lead author of the study, are precise: The amount of fruit, vegetables, nuts and legumes consumed globally will have to double, while that of foods such as red meat and sugar will have to be reduced by more than 50 percent. The problem, however, is what we mean by vegetable nutrition: can the lifestyle of those who claim to be vegan and healthy and who mainly eat chips, sugary drinks, white sandwich bread and industrially produced vegetable burgers be defined as a healthy lifestyle? The answer certainly not.

A recent scientific study, published in the journal Nutrients, highlighted the profound differences between two categories of people who choose a vegan diet. 1) The comfortable vegan choice (convenience vegan) favors the consumption of refined cereals based on white flour and ultra-processed foods of industrial production (for example ready-to-eat foods) and certainly correlated to a worse state of health, even worse than people who follow an omnivorous diet. An increase in blood sugar and triglycerides, as in your case, could be related to a diet too rich in sugar and refined grains.

2) The vegan choice attentive to your health (health-conscious vegan), on the contrary, a diet in which very few ultra-processed foods are consumed and which favors the consumption of a wide variety of whole grains, legumes, vegetables, fruit and nuts, prepared in a simple and home-made way. A diet that is certainly healthy and respectful of animals and the planet but which (attention!) will certainly be deficient in vitamin B12, vitamin D and, in certain phases of life, in essential omega 3 fatty acids. So a food style to be followed consciously and with the right additions.