Brother Liu is 54 years old this year and works as a taxi driver. His eating habits are very irregular, often skipping meals.
A month ago, he noticed that his vision was getting blurry and he had lost quite a bit of weight. After a hospital check-up, he was diagnosed with diabetes, which made him extremely anxious, worrying that it would affect his normal work.
So he searched online for various ways to lower blood sugar. By chance, he came across an article that said staple foods raise blood sugar while okra lowers blood sugar, which made him very happy.
Since then, Brother Liu has been eating okra, vegetables, and meat every day without eating staple foods. After two or three months, when he went to check his blood sugar again, he found that it had not decreased but had instead increased. This made him wonder if he had been deceived. Can okra really lower blood sugar?
There are countless articles online claiming that vegetables can lower blood sugar. Can these claims be trusted? Follow along with Xiao Ai for a specific understanding.
### Diabetes is most afraid of these vegetables, can blood sugar be lowered without medication?
First of all, we must be clear that no food can lower blood sugar. Any food that contains calories will cause blood sugar to rise after consumption, but the speed of blood sugar rise varies depending on the food.
The reason why there are claims about food lowering blood sugar is because certain components in the food have the effect of lowering blood sugar, but those components do not equal the food itself.
Douban, Deputy Director and Nutritionist at the Clinical Nutrition Department of Peking University First Hospital, reminds us that the food items rumored to lower blood sugar are not reliable.
1. Corn
Corn contains abundant polysaccharides, unsaturated fats, vitamin E, glutathione, magnesium, and other components. Studies on animals have shown that it can improve insulin resistance and lower cholesterol levels. However, corn is also a high-carbohydrate food, and consuming a large amount of corn can cause a significant increase in postprandial blood sugar.
2. Tremella
It is said that the Tremella polysaccharides in Tremella can lower blood sugar levels in mice and increase serum insulin levels. However, there is currently no evidence that daily consumption of Tremella can lower blood sugar, and it is not recommended to eat Tremella in large quantities.
3. Pumpkin
The pumpkin polysaccharides in pumpkin have been found in animal experiments to have a certain regulatory effect on blood sugar, blood lipids, and blood pressure. Pumpkin also contains pectin, which can delay the body’s absorption of carbohydrates and help control postprandial blood sugar. However, these studies are all based on animal experiments, and the results obtained cannot be directly extrapolated to the human body.
Moreover, 100g of pumpkin contains 4.5g of carbohydrates and 22 calories, with a glycemic index of 75. Consuming a large amount will also cause a significant increase in postprandial blood sugar.
4. Buckwheat
The rutin component in buckwheat has been found to lower blood sugar in animal experiments, but the rutin content in buckwheat is very limited, and the amount obtained through diet intake is far from reaching an effective dose.
5. Okra
Okra contains abundant dietary fiber, which diabetic patients can consume in moderation daily. However, it is unrealistic to expect that blood sugar can be lowered by eating okra.
6. Bitter buckwheat
Bitter buckwheat contains flavonoids, sugar alcohols, anthocyanins, and other components, which have antioxidant, free radical-eliminating, and anti-tumor effects. However, these effects were found in animal experiments and cannot be directly extrapolated to the human body. Moreover, it is difficult to reach the quantity used in animal experiments through dietary intake.
7. Bitter melon
The bitter melon saponins extracted from bitter melon have been found to have insulin-like effects in animal experiments and can lower blood sugar. However, this does not mean that eating bitter melon can lower blood sugar, as bitter melon extracts do not equal bitter melon.
### Can eating fruit affect blood sugar? Remember these three points, and diabetics can rest assured to eat fruit.
Many patients completely avoid eating fruit after being diagnosed with diabetes, fearing that the sugar content in fruits will affect blood sugar control. Can diabetic patients eat fruits?
The answer is yes.
Li Ying, Director of the Nutrition Department at Xuanwu Hospital in Beijing, stated that fruits are rich in vitamins, dietary fiber, and other components, which are beneficial for preventing atherosclerosis, constipation, and retinal damage. Diabetics who completely avoid eating fruits may suffer from unbalanced nutrient intake and increase the risk of complications.
When diabetic patients eat fruits, they should pay attention to these factors.
â‘ How much fruit should be consumed?
The daily fruit intake for an average person is recommended to be around 350g, and diabetic patients can reduce it to around 200g.
â‘¡ What fruits to eat?
It is suggested that diabetic patients choose fruits with a glycemic index <50 and a blood glucose load <10, such as cherries, papayas, strawberries, peaches, and apples, which are all good choices. However, be careful not to overeat! â‘¢ When to eat fruit? Fruits are generally consumed as snacks in the diet and are recommended to be eaten between meals, such as eating about 100g in the morning around 10 a.m. and then another 100g around 3 p.m. in the afternoon. Beijing Friendship Hospital deputy chief physician nutritionist Mr. Ding Bingjie said, Diabetes patients need to pay attention to the details of their daily diet to better control blood sugar. One is that food cannot directly lower blood sugar. Most foods contain carbohydrates, and it is inevitable that blood sugar will rise after consumption. Although some foods contain components that can lower blood sugar, most of the research is based on animal and cell experimentation. Whether they have the same effect on the human body requires further research for verification and the doses used in experiments are difficult to achieve through diet. Second, dietary therapy cannot replace medication. Diet plays a more supportive role in controlling blood sugar, such as adjusting dietary habits to slow down the rise in blood sugar after a meal rather than directly lowering blood sugar through diet. For diabetic patients who want to scientifically lower blood sugar, their diet should ensure that the calorie intake meets the body's energy needs and maintains a balanced nutrition. The calorie distribution is recommended as 1/5 for breakfast, 2/5 for lunch, and 2/5 for dinner. Each meal should contain carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, with a fixed proportion. Especially for elderly patients who are lean, pay attention to the intake of fats and proteins, and may eat more meat, eggs, dairy products, and legumes. Diet is crucial for diabetic patients to control blood sugar, but it cannot be solely relied upon to lower blood sugar. Once diabetes is diagnosed, follow medical advice for regular medication and then complement it with dietary control, which will have a synergistic effect. References: [1] "Can corn and pumpkin lower blood sugar? Parents have been eating for many years, but the inside story is not yet known...". Popular Science China. 2021-11-16 [2] "Diabetes: Does eating fruit affect blood sugar? Remember these few points, diabetics can rest assured to eat fruits!". Beijing TV Health Hall. 2018-02-28 [3] "Can corn and pumpkin lower blood sugar? Don't let parents continue to be deceived!". Tencent Medical Encyclopedia. 2024-02-19 Unauthorized reproduction without the author's permission is prohibited.
