Type 2 diabetes: This surprising food may lower blood sugar
Type 2 diabetes is a condition which causes a person’s body to lose control of its blood glucose (sugar) levels. The body doesn’t respond to insulin properly, and it may not produce enough, causing blood glucose levels to become too high. If blood sugar levels stay too high, it can lead to a number of health problems, including kidney failure, nerve damage, heart disease and stroke. Simple lifestyle changes can help prevent and reduce high blood sugar levels, and one change experts recommend to make is to eat a healthy diet.
One surprising food which has been found to promote blood sugar control is aubergine
There’s nothing you cannot eat if you have type 2 diabetes, but certain foods should be limited.
The NHS says you should eat a wide range of foods, including fruit, vegetables and some starchy foods like pasta, keep sugar, fat and salt to a minimum, and eat breakfast, lunch and dinner every day – no skipping meals.
But individual foods have also been found to hold blood sugar lowering properties.
One surprising food which has been found to promote blood sugar control is aubergine.
This is primarily because aubergines are high in fibre and pass through the digestive system intact.
Fibre can lower blood sugar by slowing the rate of digestion and absorption of sugar in the body.
Slower absorption keeps blood sugar levels steady and prevents spikes and crashes.
Other research has suggested polyphenols, or natural plant compounds, which are found in foods like aubergine may reduce sugar absorption and increase insulin recreation.
Both of these can help lower blood sugar.
A test-tube study looked at polyphenol-enriched extracts of aubergine, and showed they could reduce levels of specific enzymes that influence sugar absorption, helping reduce blood sugar.
Losing weight, if you’re overweight, can also make it easier for the body to lower blood sugar levels, and aubergine has also been found to help with this.
As well as being high in fibre, aubergines are low in calories, which makes them a good addition to a weight loss diet.
Fibre moves through the digestive tract slowly and can promote fullness, reducing calorie intake.
But alongside eating a healthy diet, it’s impotent to exercise regularly.
Adults should aim to do 2.5 hours of activity a week, and this can involve anything, as long as it gets you out of breath.
Activities you may want to consider are fast walking, climbing stairs and doing ore strenuous housework or gardening.
Eating a certain Japanese food has also been found to lower blood sugar.
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