High blood sugar levels, or hyperglycemia, is a common sign of diabetes and left untreated can lead to serious medical complications. Certain types of foods have the ability to reduce the blood glucose levels in the circulation. Diabetics are recommended to increase their intake of diabetic-friendly foods as a treatment strategy for lowering blood sugar levels.
Fiber
Increasing the intake of certain high-fiber foods like psyllium can help slow the absorption rate of sugar (glucose) from the digestive tract into the blood circulation. This will help to lower the blood sugar levels in the circulation, especially after eating a meal. A study published in the "Journal of Diabetes and its Complications" in 1988 by researcher Rodriquez Moran reported that the high-fiber plant Plantago psyllium demonstrated the ability to effectively lower the serum blood sugar levels in the circulation and could be useful as an adjunct therapy for treating diabetics. In addition to psyllium, foods with high fiber content are sweet potatoes, beans and chickpeas. Sweet potatoes have even more fiber than regular potatoes, which is great for encouraging insulin sensitivity.
Spices
Spices such as cinnamon can modulate the insulin release from the pancreas and affect blood sugar levels. Cinnamon possesses methylhydroxychalcone polymer (MHCP), which can increase insulin release into the blood circulation. An article published by the Pennington Biomedical Research Center cited research studies that conclusively demonstrated MHCP's ability to increase blood sugar uptake into cells and enhance glycogen synthesis. Another spice, turmeric, can lower blood sugar levels by increasing insulin production from the pancreas.
Herbs
Herbs have been shown to affect the blood sugar levels in diabetics. Ginseng increases insulin receptors on pancreatic cells, causing the pancreas to release more insulin. An article published in the "European Journal of Clinical Nutrition" in 1988 by researcher Z. Madar concluded that the fenugreek herb possesses glucose-lowering properties. Other herbs with similar properties include bitter melon and blueberry.
Vegetables
Vegetables such as onions and garlic have blood sugar-lowering effects in the body. They contain allyl propyl disulphide (APDS) and diallyl disulphide (allicin), sulphur and chromium. These ingredients increase the productivity and sensitivity of cells to insulin, effectively causing them to increase blood sugar uptake from the blood circulation. This results in decreases in the levels of sugar in the blood. An article published in the "Indian Journal of Medical Science" in February 2005 by researcher Jelodar GA showed that garlic was effective in lowering blood glucose levels.
