Diabetes type II and vegan diet

[hikeyosemite]

I'm concerned about a friend of mine, age 60, who was told she was becoming diabetic and went on a vegan diet. For awhile, the diet was working to get her blood sugar and triglyceride levels in the near-normal range, then it stopped working. She was following the vegan diet religiously, though I know she would have things like coconut (which has high levels of saturated fats). Anyone else experience this? I think she is on some cholestero-lowering drug(s). Would it help more if she avoided almost all saturated fats, including palm oil and coconut?

[Machaon]

Originally Posted by hikeyosemite

... For awhile, the diet was working to get her blood sugar and triglyceride levels in the near-normal range, then it stopped working.

As we age our metabolism and Immune System weakens. She could be a victim of the aging process. She might need to eat smaller, more frequent meals.

[tjlhb]

The saturated fat in coconut and palm oil may not be good for blood LDL levels.

But with regard to blood sugar and triglyceride levels, sugars and fast digesting carbohydrates may not be good in that respect. Since foods allowed in a vegan diet include a lot of such foods, merely going on a vegan diet says little about whether the diet is an improvement in this respect (indeed, a vegan diet might be higher in carbohydrates than a non-vegan diet). Choosing high fiber slower digesting carbohydrates over more refined carbohydrates should help.

Increasing exercise and losing any excess body fat will help blood sugar control and blood cholesterol levels.