Blood sugar, which means glucose contained in the blood, is maintained at an appropriate level in the blood by balancing the supply and consumption of sugar through the interaction of various hormones. Through these related actions, it plays an essential role in physical activity, including the interaction between hormones and energy required for the maintenance of homeostasis in the body. When there is an abnormality in the level that controls blood sugar, symptoms of high blood pressure and low blood pressure, such as high or falling blood sugar, appear. In addition, abnormal blood sugar control can cause problems in the normal secretion of insulin, which can act as a cause of diabetes. In order to properly control and lower blood sugar, aerobic exercise such as walking, running, swimming, and cycling should be performed regularly. In addition, it is important to adequately control the intake of various instant foods and processed foods, which include sufficient rest, sleep, and various chemical seasonings, sugars, and saturated fatty acids that cause blood sugar to rise in excess. In addition, a balanced and appropriate intake of various foods rich in dietary fiber and various vitamins and minerals is also an essential factor directly involved in blood sugar management. Now, let’s take a look at some of the foods that help lower and control blood sugar. blood sugar lowering foods
1. Bitter gourd
The first food to help lower blood sugar is bitter melon. Yeoju, which belongs to the gourd family, is characterized by its bumpy and elongated shape, and is a vegetable commonly used in stir-frying, pan-fried rice, and pickles. P-insulin, a plant insulin that is abundantly contained, causes glucose to be burned in the liver and is effective in preventing the accumulation of blood sugar by inhibiting resynthesis in the body. In addition, the rich caratin content of bitter gourd helps to lower blood sugar by activating beta cells of the pancreas and promoting the secretion of insulin. In addition, momordesin, a substance that gives bitter taste of bitter gourd, is known to improve the function of the stomach by promoting the secretion of digestive enzymes and to have a beneficial effect on regulating blood cholesterol levels.
2. Green Vegetables
Green vegetables such as kale, beetroot and spinach are also effective in lowering blood sugar. These green vegetables are rich in minerals such as magnesium, zinc, and calcium in common, so they help control blood sugar and work well in managing insulin sensitivity and glycemic load index. In addition, it is important to consume these green vegetables regularly because they are effective in controlling risk factors for various adult diseases such as blood pressure and triglycerides as well as blood sugar.
3. Whole Grains
Ingestion of refined grains such as wheat flour or processed foods with high simple sugar content has advantages as an immediate energy source as it is rapidly decomposed and absorbed in the body and increases blood sugar quickly. However, this rapid rise in blood sugar causes an abnormality in insulin secretion from the pancreas, and at the same time a lot of energy is stored in the cells, causing an increase in visceral fat. Whole grains such as oats, brown rice, and barley contain a high content of complex carbohydrates with multiple sugars, so it takes longer to digest and absorb than simple sugars. These actions prevent excessive insulin secretion and reduce the amount of sugar stored as fat as much as possible. And by this action, it helps control blood sugar and suppresses accumulation of body fat, so it is effective in preventing and managing various metabolic diseases such as diabetes, obesity, and metabolic syndrome.
4. Almonds
Almonds, the representative food of nuts, are also said to have a good effect in helping to control blood sugar. It is said that it can help prevent blood sugar from rising rapidly due to the influence of minerals such as magnesium, including dietary fiber, which has a high content in almonds, and can help manage fasting blood sugar. In addition, almonds are one of the best ingredients to supply vitamin E, and they have the advantage of being a powerful antioxidant that removes free radicals, so it is known to have a good effect on improving immunity and preventing skin aging.
5. Seeds
Seeds such as sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and flax seeds are rich in essential nutrients such as various vitamins, proteins, dietary fiber, zinc, and magnesium, so they are called a treasure trove of nutrition. Due to the complex action of these abundant nutrients, it prevents the rapid rise of blood sugar and has a beneficial effect in helping the normal secretion of insulin. In addition, the seeds have a high content of unsaturated fatty acids that help blood vessel health, so they have an excellent effect in helping prevent various vascular-related adult diseases such as high blood pressure and arteriosclerosis.
other foods
In addition to the various foods introduced above, foods such as onions and garlic are said to have a good effect on helping blood sugar control. The abundant allicin component contained in these foods activates the function of pancreatic cells and smoothly improves insulin secretion, effectively controlling blood sugar and maintaining blood sugar in a constant form. Other foods such as legumes, oysters, apples, pears, radishes, cabbage, and broccoli have also been known to help control blood sugar and lower fasting blood sugar.
