In a word, absolutely!
Type 2 diabetics can really benefit from this diet! Eating Paleo removes the foods that mess with your blood glucose the most, and it helps people lose weight, often effortlessly. The Paleo diet consists only of foods that are very satisfying and blood sugar balancing, so it usually leaves people feeling less hungry and having fewer cravings.
Type 2 diabetes is what happens when you eat too much sugar/carbs and your body’s cells become desensitized to insulin, the hormone that allows glucose to be taken out of your blood stream and released into your cells. In other words, the sugar just sits there in your blood stream, toxic, unable to get into storage or be used by your cells.
Why Does Eating Paleo Work?
Since eating Paleo eliminates refined sugars and grains (the foods that spike your blood sugar the most) it’s very effective for diabetics. It means you won’t have to use much insulin at all and your cells will start using it efficiently again. It’s like if you worked in a daycare and you had 25 babies crying and screaming all day long. I bet you’d get a little desensitized to all that crying after a week on the job and you’d think to yourself, ‘That baby can wait.’ And I bet some of those babies wouldn’t ever get the attention they needed. But if you send 22 or 23 of those 25 babies home, you’ll be much more sensitive to the needs of those 2 or 3 babies, right? The same goes for insulin. When you flood your body with sugar and/or other carbs every day, your cells get overwhelmed and stop caring so much whether your cells get that sugar. If you reduce the amount of sugar and carbs in your diet, you reduce the need for insulin and your body can then take care of its screaming babies. Does that make sense?
A lot of diabetics actually get off of their medications completely with this diet. In fact, it works so well that one blogger who got rid of his type 2 diabetes by eating Paleo is being threatened by dietitians for telling people to go Paleo. Yes, he reversed his diabetes. No more diabetes.
It’s a common misconception that when you are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, you’re doomed to then forever be “a diabetic” and take more and more pills and insulin injections as the years pass. Not true. Here’s a study that was done in the 80′s on how the Paleo diet reversed type 2 diabetes in Aboriginal men. Here’s another study done in 2009 that showed how Paleo worked better for diabetics than the normally prescribed diabetes diet.
A Little Warning
Eating good fats and lots of protein is one of the best things you can do for your blood sugar control. If you are diabetic and you do decide to make this change in your diet, you’ll want to make sure you watch your blood glucose levels very closely in the beginning, especially if you take insulin or medications for it. Do not take too much insulin or your blood sugar may get very low. There are far fewer carbohydrates on this diet, which are what make your blood sugar spike. Consult with your doctor if necessary. A lot of people are surprised by how quickly their blood glucose levels decrease and normalize after starting this way of eating. In fact, my own dad started cutting out breads and common carbs as a type 2 diabetic taking insulin and noticed a difference within one day. Yes, one day.
So if you have type 2 diabetes, the Paleo diet is safe for you. In fact this is the safest diet you possibly could be eating. Take the plunge!
15 Comments
Daytona
While I agree that low-carb paleo can really help lower and stabilize blood sugar in diabetics, your oversimplification of the cause of diabetes is off-putting. First, you seem to be only talking about the cause of type 2 diabetes and you may want to clarify that is what you are talking about.
Second, you may want to do a bit more research or at least talk to some type 2 diabetics before saying that we ate our way into this disease. I am friends with a number of diabetics (T2) who developed diabetes eating a low-sugar, high “hearthealthywholegrains” diet. I developed type 2 when I was 8. I was underweight, very active and didn’t eat sweets. It’s hurtful to make blanket statements implying that we did this to ourselves. When helping newly diagnosed diabetics, one the best resources is Jenny Ruhl’s Blood Sugar 101, specifically You did NOT eat your way to diabetes.
The overall message that paleo can help diabetics is a great one… but the message would be easier to deliver if a few things were cleared up.
Neely
Daytona – Thanks for writing in. I agree completely and have updated the post to reflect my mistake. I should’ve been more specific and made it very clear that I was talking about type 2 diabetes. And I meant no disrespect to anyone who has been diagnosed with diabetes – I apologize if you took it that way. I was simply talking about the excessive intake of carbohydrates being the main cause of type 2 diabetes, which it is even if you’re not eating “sugar”. Even if you’re eating a lot of grains and legumes, that could have the same effect as table sugar or high fructose corn syrup, as it all turns to sugar in your body, as I’m sure you know. So again, I’m sorry if I offended you – it wasn’t my intention.
Mark
Hi, thanks for writing this and for the content your blog provides. I was wondering if you have had type 1 diabetics on Paleo and experienced insulin resistance? I’ve been eating Paleo for 10 months now and have had 2 or 3 occasions where my insulin just doesn’t seem to work, no matter how much I bolus. I’m type 1 diabetic.
Neely
Mark – Hmmm. That’s interesting. I’ve never heard of that before, but I don’t hear from that many type 1 diabetics. I’d be interested in more details, though. What were you eating? What was your blood glucose before your meal and post? There are type 1′s out there who are successful on the diet. I do know that. Here’s one of them and you can google type 1 diabetes Paleo for lots more: http://robbwolf.com/2011/11/18/sean-paleo-type-1-diabetes-endurance/
Gayle
I have T2Diabetes, every time I go to the doctor they up my meds and Lantus and in 13 years my A1C has never been acceptable. I want to try Paleo but am not sure how to start. There are so many books available, I’m not sure which one to begin with. Any suggestions for a book with simple recipes and basic info on how to get going with this eating plan and reversing diabetes.
Neely
Hi Gayle,
We’ve written a couple books, including the Complete Idiot’s Guide to Eating Paleo, which you can find on Amazon or in most book stores. But also our ebook here: http://www.paleoplan.com/tour/#ebooks might be what you’re looking for. Other than those, there’s the Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf, and Mark Sisson’s books on the Primal Blueprint that I love.
Alan
Hi. I have recently been diagnosed with T2 Diabetes. I am a 51 year old male. The diagnosis was made during an emergency room visit for a serious infection. At the time (3 weeks ago) my BS was at 510. They started me on metformin. My BS has been in the 220 to 280 range since. I am starting to wean myself from carbs and this evening I was down to 173. My question concerns your thoughts on going partially paleo. I have a milk goat that I truly love and also love dairy products (my Dad was a milk man). could I go paleo with the exception of dairy and see benefits? How about if I eliminated fluid milk and just consumed cheese and butter? My work is quite physical and I have always been in good health (considering that I have always been somewhat over weight. I started a much more physical position in my company last July and lost around 30 pounds up until I got my infection. Since then I have lost an additional 25 pounds. TIA,
Al
Neely Quinn
Al – Plenty of people go “low carb” with dairy in their diets and see amazing results with their blood sugar. I think the fact that you’re drinking milk from your own goat makes it much easier for me to say yes, keep on drinking it. However, there’s a part of me that wonders if you, like so many other people, have issues with dairy that you don’t really think are abnormal or caused by dairy (gas, diarrhea, constipation). If you don’t have any of those issues, then really, go ahead and keep consuming the goat’s milk. It’ll make going low-carb way easier :)
Bret
Gayle,
You should talk to your doctor’s about a referral to the Joslin Center practice at Southview. You may actually be Type 1. The on-set of T1 does not occur only in Juveniles… It is possible for an adult to become T-1 for a number of reasons.
Bret
Alan
Thanks Neely. I should also mention that this is raw milk. No, I’ve never experienced any gastric distress from dairy products.
Al
Candace
I too have reversed diabetes with a low carb diet. I’m looking into Paleo for a life long change, the low carbing is really getting difficult, I dream about foods can’t have. Maybe Paleo will be more satisfying.
I lost 120 lbs. in a year and a half, my high blood pressure is gone, as well as fibromyalgia. I feel 25 again, not my current 56. Also, I no longer have protein or albumin in my urine, so I’ve reversed early kidney disease as well.
I’m going to get the Paleo books mentioned up thread. Thanks
Mike
The reason Paleo works is the same reason why raw food diet works. It is due to proper food combining. When one eats acids with starchy foods the digestive processed is neutralized which results in slower digestion that can lead to spikes in insulin.
Sharmiel Swartz
I am interested in this new lifestyle I am a Type 2 diabetic
Beverly
As a type 2 diabetic I am seriously considering the Paleo plan. However what would you suggest if there is a significant drop in blood sugars as a quick influx. Currently taking medications, no insulin, and when I can feel the physical drop in “sugars” am drinking a 12oz bottle of “Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice Cocktail” which levels things out usually within 10 minutes. A simple piece of fruit tends to take too long to be absorbed.
Thank You
Nina
Hi there! Just starting on Paleo. Lost weight on Atkins, but it just became another part of yo-yo-ing for me. I am now NOT using any artificial sweeteners – loved my Equal and heavy cream in my coffee! (Although, Atkins doesn’t like you using the aspartamine either.) Anyway, my question is: I’m scared about eating fruit! It tastes so good to me! I NEVER allowed myself any fruit on Atkins because I was always on Phase I (I have alot of weight to lose!) I do believe that dairy causes inflammation, and even after 2 days of no heavy cream and artificial sweetener, I really am starting to feel better and a higher energy level. I am a Type II diabetic also – on Metformin. I know this will work. I just really need a definitive fruit list. Especially where watermelon is concerned, for example. I remember I once ate alot of watermelon and the next morning my sugar was 252! I’m sure portion control is a part of it. Another question is carrots? (I understand about potatoes and corn being no-no’s, but I have been seeing sweet potatoes on food lists as being okay on Paleo!) Any clarifications and/or advice would be so greatly appreciated! Thanks!