- Natural remedies to lower blood sugar
- 1- Reduce your carbohydrate consumption
- 2- Fractionation of carbohydrate source foods
- 3- exercise
- 4- Weight training
- 5- Drink unsweetened tea
- 6- Drink a glass of red wine
- 7- Consume preparations with cinnamon
- 9- Add vinegar to your meals
- 10- Reduce stress levels
- 11- get enough sleep
- 12- Bitter gourd
- 13- Fenugreek
- 14- Indian gooseberry (Amla)
- 15- Black plum
- 16- Mango leaves
- 17- Curry leaves
- 18- Aloe Vera
- 19- Guava
- 20- Okra
In this article, I will explain several home and natural remedies to lower blood sugar. If you adopt them you will see relatively quick results and you will begin to have a better quality of life.
Have you been diagnosed with high blood sugar levels and want to correct them? Are they affecting your health and do you want to start taking care of yourself? Don't worry, you can change habits in your lifestyle that lead you to be healthier and feel better. Your sugar levels can go down.
Whether you suffer from a carbohydrate metabolism disorder such as insulin resistance or diabetes or you want to keep your blood insulin and glucose (sugar) levels stable, you should not only take into account your diet but your lifestyle in general.
Blood sugar levels vary enormously and increase after meals (especially if they are rich in easily digestible or processed carbohydrates such as bread, cookies, sweets, etc.) and also in stressful situations.
Before taking initiative it is necessary that you consult your family doctor since high and constant levels of sugar in the blood can lead to serious health complications.
Natural remedies to lower blood sugar
1- Reduce your carbohydrate consumption
The effect of doing this is almost immediate, since one of the main causes of high blood glucose concentration is high carbohydrate consumption. In this sense, all carbohydrates have the ability to increase blood glucose. Therefore, before selecting the sources, reduce the amount of them.
Carbohydrates are found in starchy foods - root vegetables, grains, rice, and legumes - and all their derivatives, such as bread, pasta, potato chips, mashed potatoes, and even lentil soup. Beyond the fact that not all will have the same effect, you should reduce consumption.
The paleo diet is a good approach, as it appeals to the consumption of carbohydrates from starchy vegetables and small amounts of fruits. You can also get carbohydrates from seeds and nuts.
On the other hand, carbohydrate consumption is always better tolerated in the first hours of the day until noon, when insulin sensitivity is higher. Another favorable time for carbohydrate consumption is after exercise.
2- Fractionation of carbohydrate source foods
This can also help you a lot almost immediately. The carbohydrate distribution should be proportional but not equal. So, as we said before, the highest consumption is recorded in the early hours of the day.
A practical way to do this is to consume a carbohydrate source from grains, pasta, legumes and derivatives for breakfast and lunch. After that, leave the sources of carbohydrates that come from vegetables and fruits for snack and dinner, which usually contain more fiber and take a little longer to defer, as long as you consume them raw.
3- exercise
Exercise helps in the short term since, if your metabolism is normal and you have no problems taking advantage of sugar, glucose serves as a source of energy for your muscles during aerobic exercise. That is, it will help you run, swim, or other types of exercise.
Avoid high intensity and short duration exercises, as they use another type of fuel for the muscle.
Mild to moderate aerobic exercise will help you lower your blood glucose in a matter of minutes. Such is the case with a bike ride or a brisk walk.
4- Weight training
The observed effect of weight training on blood sugar concentrations is long-term.
Strength training can temporarily raise your blood glucose, but in the long term it will be a great help to build muscle, being able to obtain energy from glucose more efficiently.
In this article you can learn about the best foods to gain muscle.
5- Drink unsweetened tea
Depending on other factors such as the type of tea consumed, the effect of drinking tea on the blood glucose level can be in the next 20 to 30 minutes.
Black, white, and green teas can contribute to lowering blood sugar, especially when taken after eating. Green tea that is sold in capsules can also have a positive effect on blood sugar levels, although it takes longer to work. In this regard, you can use green tea extract.
6- Drink a glass of red wine
Alcoholic drinks tend to lower blood sugar levels (beer can have the opposite effect due to the total carbohydrate content).
In any case, alcohol consumption cannot be considered as one of the ways to control blood glucose in the long term, since it alters metabolism and can promote the development of fatty liver.
7- Consume preparations with cinnamon
Source: Sbharris
Chromium picolinate has been shown to lower blood sugar levels in type II diabetics in many studies. Before incorporating any supplement, it is advisable to consult with your doctor. Chromium picolinate can benefit you as it is essential for the enzymes involved in carbohydrate metabolism.
9- Add vinegar to your meals
Apple cider vinegar has been shown to help keep blood sugar levels under control in both pre-diabetics and type II diabetics.
You can add vinegar to the salad with which you accompany your meals or consume a salad before each main dish as a way to stimulate the secretion of insulin.
Keep in mind that apple cider vinegar takes longer to lower blood sugar levels than other supplements, and may be more effective as a preventive measure than as a treatment.
10- Reduce stress levels
Stressful situations can release hormones that raise blood sugar. If you're feeling anxious, try incorporating relaxation techniques like meditation and deep breathing to lower your blood sugar.
11- get enough sleep
This option may be related to the previous one. Getting enough sleep is a good way to help decrease insulin resistance in your body. It can happen that your blood sugar levels are higher when you don't get enough sleep.
Poor quality of sleep and increased blood glucose are closely related and both tend to coexist.
If possible, cut down on anything that keeps you up late. It's not just about stimulating drinks like coffee, tea or chocolate. Also avoid exercising too late, as excess cortisol in your blood won't help you get a good rest.
A healthy diet is key to controlling blood sugar and preventing diabetes. It's not that you should avoid consuming carbohydrates or sugar when it comes to keeping your blood sugar at normal levels, just that you need to balance with protein / fat, and focus on consuming real, whole foods.
Eating a healthy source of protein, fiber, and fat in all your meals can help stabilize your blood sugar, especially when consuming carbohydrates / sugar (such as starchy vegetables like potatoes, fruits, or whole grains). These slow the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream, help control your appetite, and are also important for metabolism and digestion.
12- Bitter gourd
Also known as bitter melon, it can be useful for controlling diabetes due to its hypoglycemic effects.
It has the ability to stimulate the production of insulin in the pancreas, while increasing the peripheral sensitivity of cells to the action of this hormone. In this way, bitter melon or gourd brings benefits for the management of type 1 and type 1 diabetes. However, it cannot be used as a substitute for insulin treatment.
13- Fenugreek
Source: आशीष भटनागर at Hindi Wikipedia
Fenugreek is a plant with hypoglycemic properties that contributes to improving carbohydrate metabolism and blood sugar levels due to its hypoglycemic activity.
It also stimulates the secretion of insulin. Being high in fiber, it slows down the absorption of carbohydrates and sugars.
14- Indian gooseberry (Amla)
The Indian gooseberry or amla is a very valuable source of ascorbic acid and its juice promotes proper functioning of the pancreas.
15- Black plum
The plum or black jambul, also known as jamun, can contribute to the reduction of glucose in the blood since it is rich in phytochemical compounds such as tannins and anthocyanins that also have antioxidant activity.
Every part of the jambul plant such as the leaves, berries and seeds are edible and can be used by people suffering from high concentrations of glucose in the blood. In fact, research has shown that the fruits and seeds of this plant have hypoglycemic effects.
The seeds, in particular, contain the glycoside jamboline, an alkaloid that regulates blood sugar levels.
16- Mango leaves
The leaves of this fruit can be used to control diabetes and the concentration of glucose in the blood, since it acts effectively and directly on insulin levels. They can also help improve the blood lipid profile.
To consume them you can soak 10 to 15 tender mango leaves in a glass of water overnight. In the morning, filter the water and drink on an empty stomach.
You can also dry the leaves in the shade and grind them. Use half a teaspoon of mango powder twice a day.
17- Curry leaves
Curry leaves help prevent and control carbohydrate metabolism disorders such as diabetes. They contain a compound that slows the degradation of starch to glucose.
To take advantage of these properties, you can consume curry leaves in the early hours of the day. It will also help you reduce high cholesterol levels.
18- Aloe Vera
Aloe vera contains a gel inside that helps lower fasting blood glucose levels. Contains phytosterols with possible hypoglycemic effects in cases of type 2 diabetes.
The mixture of aloe vera gel, bay leaves and turmeric can help control and lower blood glucose.
19- Guava
Due to the high contribution of ascorbic acid and high fiber content, guava helps reduce blood glucose levels, in addition to avoiding the generation of free radicals.
In case of diabetes, it is advisable to consume the fruit with the skin as it contains all the fiber. However, excessive consumption of guava is not recommended.
20- Okra
Okra has polyphenolic molecules as constituents that can help lower blood glucose levels and control diabetes.
A 2011 study published in the Journal of Pharmacy and BioAllied Sciences found that okra seeds and powder obtained from the peel have antidiabetic and antihyperlipidemic potential.
In order to take advantage of these benefits, it is advisable to cut the ends of some okras and prick them in several places with a fork. Soak the okras in a glass of water overnight. In the morning, discard the okras and drink the water on an empty stomach.