The 10 Foods That Lower Blood Sugar Level
The foods we recommend below have a low Glycemic Index and are high in fibre, helping to control blood glucose levels. Including them in your diet is key to controlling diabetes, and if you are not diabetic they help prevent you from developing it.
Potatoes have a high glycaemic index, which raises blood sugar rapidly, but sweet potatoes have low glycaemic index and are equally nutritious.
In addition, sweet potato meat contains even more fiber than skin, so it's especially good if you have diabetes.
Bread is often a "forbidden" food for diabetics because it is rich in simple carbohydrates that immediately raise blood sugar. However...
Rye bread, spelt bread and 100% whole wheat bread have a Glycemic Index below 55, which gradually releases glucose into the blood and does not cause sharp peaks.
With the exception of pineapple and melon, most fruits have a low glycemic index, especially apples and blueberries.
This is due to its high water and fiber content that compensates for its natural sugar (fructose).
Keep in mind that, as fruits ripen, the Glycemic Index (GI) increases. Fruit juices also have a high GI because some of the fiber is removed. So when you make them at home, at least don't strain them and the loss will be less.
Oatmeal has a double advantage:
It has a GI below 55 and contains a type of fiber (beta-glucans), which helps maintain glycemic control by improving insulin sensitivity.
The best thing to do in case of diabetes is to save it. Your flour is also healthy, but should be consumed in small amounts because it is rich in carbohydrates (1 cup contains 28 g of carbohydrates).
They are very rich in dietary fiber and their GI is reduced.
They are also a source of phytochemicals such as flavonoids, minerals such as potassium and magnesium, and antioxidant vitamins that help improve insulin resistance.
Ideally, nuts should be processed as little as possible. Those with flavorings or coatings have higher GI values.
The medicinal virtues of garlic have been well known for centuries. In addition, it has been scientifically proven to contain compounds that help improve insulin resistance.
Research by the American Chemistry Society has shown that its antioxidants protect the heart from diabetes-induced heart disease.
You can take it raw, add it to salads, or use it as a dressing to flavor your dishes.
Chickpeas, lentils, beans or peas have a reduced glycemic index and, above all, a lot of fibre.
Research has shown that the addition of legumes to the diet improves glycaemic control and reduces the risk of coronary heart disease in people with type 2 diabetes.
Ideally, 3 servings a week.
Fish, like meat, does not contain carbohydrates, so its GI is 0.
However, a 5-year study of Norwegian women found that eating cold water fish, especially cod, helps control and prevent diabetes, which is not the case with meat.
Whenever possible, it is best to choose fish as a source of protein in the diet.
Consuming 100 g of avocado daily (a quarter of a large piece) helps reduce cholesterol and glucose levels.
The reason is that it contains 9 g of fiber per 100 g of food, which prevents blood glucose levels from rising rapidly.
Good avocado fats also help improve cardiovascular health.
Drinking yogurt daily helps reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.
This was demonstrated in a large meta-analysis conducted in 2014, according to which yogurt is the only dairy that decreases the risk of this disorder.
Of course, yogurt must be natural. Sweetened or flavored yogurt contains sugar and sweeteners that should obviously be avoided if you have diabetes.
This term is used to measure how quickly carbohydrates from a food pass into the blood as glucose after being digested. Logically, the faster this process takes place, the more sugar peaks are produced and the worse it is for your health.
The glycaemic index of a food can be low, medium or high and is measured with a numerical scale from 0 to 110. The higher this value is, the more glycaemic rises it causes by eating them:
Remember that this term only refers to foods that contain carbohydrates.
1. Sweet potato
Potatoes have a high glycaemic index, which raises blood sugar rapidly, but sweet potatoes have low glycaemic index and are equally nutritious.
In addition, sweet potato meat contains even more fiber than skin, so it's especially good if you have diabetes.
2. Rye bread
Bread is often a "forbidden" food for diabetics because it is rich in simple carbohydrates that immediately raise blood sugar. However...
Rye bread, spelt bread and 100% whole wheat bread have a Glycemic Index below 55, which gradually releases glucose into the blood and does not cause sharp peaks.
3. Apple
With the exception of pineapple and melon, most fruits have a low glycemic index, especially apples and blueberries.
This is due to its high water and fiber content that compensates for its natural sugar (fructose).
Keep in mind that, as fruits ripen, the Glycemic Index (GI) increases. Fruit juices also have a high GI because some of the fiber is removed. So when you make them at home, at least don't strain them and the loss will be less.
4. Oats
Oatmeal has a double advantage:
It has a GI below 55 and contains a type of fiber (beta-glucans), which helps maintain glycemic control by improving insulin sensitivity.
The best thing to do in case of diabetes is to save it. Your flour is also healthy, but should be consumed in small amounts because it is rich in carbohydrates (1 cup contains 28 g of carbohydrates).
5. Nuts
They are very rich in dietary fiber and their GI is reduced.
They are also a source of phytochemicals such as flavonoids, minerals such as potassium and magnesium, and antioxidant vitamins that help improve insulin resistance.
Ideally, nuts should be processed as little as possible. Those with flavorings or coatings have higher GI values.
6. Garlic
The medicinal virtues of garlic have been well known for centuries. In addition, it has been scientifically proven to contain compounds that help improve insulin resistance.
Research by the American Chemistry Society has shown that its antioxidants protect the heart from diabetes-induced heart disease.
You can take it raw, add it to salads, or use it as a dressing to flavor your dishes.
7. Legumes
Chickpeas, lentils, beans or peas have a reduced glycemic index and, above all, a lot of fibre.
Research has shown that the addition of legumes to the diet improves glycaemic control and reduces the risk of coronary heart disease in people with type 2 diabetes.
Ideally, 3 servings a week.
8. Cod
Fish, like meat, does not contain carbohydrates, so its GI is 0.
However, a 5-year study of Norwegian women found that eating cold water fish, especially cod, helps control and prevent diabetes, which is not the case with meat.
Whenever possible, it is best to choose fish as a source of protein in the diet.
9. Avocado
Consuming 100 g of avocado daily (a quarter of a large piece) helps reduce cholesterol and glucose levels.
The reason is that it contains 9 g of fiber per 100 g of food, which prevents blood glucose levels from rising rapidly.
Good avocado fats also help improve cardiovascular health.
10. Yogurt
Drinking yogurt daily helps reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.
This was demonstrated in a large meta-analysis conducted in 2014, according to which yogurt is the only dairy that decreases the risk of this disorder.
Of course, yogurt must be natural. Sweetened or flavored yogurt contains sugar and sweeteners that should obviously be avoided if you have diabetes.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE GLYCEMIC INDEX IS?
This term is used to measure how quickly carbohydrates from a food pass into the blood as glucose after being digested. Logically, the faster this process takes place, the more sugar peaks are produced and the worse it is for your health.
The glycaemic index of a food can be low, medium or high and is measured with a numerical scale from 0 to 110. The higher this value is, the more glycaemic rises it causes by eating them:
- The GI is high if it is greater than 70.
- The GI is medium if the value is between 56 and 69.
- The GI is low when it ranges from 0 to 55.
Remember that this term only refers to foods that contain carbohydrates.
