5 foods that keep your blood sugar levels in check

10-Oct-2018 - Germany

After a carbohydrate-rich meal or a sweet drink, the blood sugar level rises in all people, regardless of whether they have diabetes or not. Healthy people produce enough endogenous insulin to channel sugar from food directly into cells, where it can be converted into energy. In people with diabetes, this does not work because the body itself cannot produce enough insulin. They may even experience unusually high blood sugar peaks after eating, despite well-adjusted insulin therapy. The first warning signs are fatigue, lack of concentration and fatigue after eating. Measuring blood glucose one to two hours after a meal can provide the doctor with valuable information. In addition, a more conscious diet can help to keep the blood sugar level in check. Just as there are foods that increase blood sugar levels, there are foods that help to lower blood sugar levels.

Here are our Top 5 blood sugar lowering foods:

1: Greetings from the sea

Whether grilled, fried or steamed: Fresh fish is delicious - and fills you up. The high protein content and the amino acids ensure that we feel full longer after a fish dish. It also causes only a moderate increase in blood sugar. Sea fish such as salmon, herring and mackerel are ideal, but lean fish such as trout and cod are also suitable for a blood sugar-conscious diet.

2: Green plant power - spinach, kale & Co.

Green leafy vegetables are low in calories and contain few carbohydrates. Instead, it scores with a high content of vitamin C, magnesium, calcium and fibre. These indigestible plant fibres cause the carbohydrates from the food to pass into the blood more slowly. The effect: the blood sugar rises less strongly after the meal and the feeling of satiety lasts longer.

3: Apple strudel - never without cinnamon

Chai tea, rice pudding or gingerbread without cinnamon? Unthinkable. However, the powdered bark of the tropical cinnamon tree can do much more than refine drinks and desserts: cinnamon is a recognized natural remedy. It can facilitate the absorption of sugar into the cells and thus help to lower the blood sugar level. This was discovered rather coincidentally: Scientists wanted to test the effect of different food on the blood sugar mirror, under it also a piece of apple strudel with Zimt. To their astonishment the blood sugar rose afterwards less strongly than after the consumption of an apple strudel without Zimt. In a subsequent study with people with type 2 diabetes, cinnamon actually showed blood sugar-lowering properties.[1]

4: Garlic - keeps vampires away and blood sugar low

Garlic is an indispensable ingredient in Mediterranean cuisine. It can help to lower the so-called bad cholesterol (LDL cholesterol, low density lipid) and thus reduce the risk of heart disease in people with type 2 diabetes. Garlic has an anti-inflammatory effect - and is one of the best blood sugar lowering foods available.

5: Olive oil - the liquid gold

Olive oil is rich in antioxidants and contains more than 70 percent monounsaturated fatty acids. These can protect our blood vessels by lowering the harmful LDL cholesterol that is responsible for the deposits in the blood vessels. Regular consumption of liquid gold, as olive oil was called in ancient times, can increase insulin sensitivity and reduce the increase in blood sugar levels after meals.[2]