5 Tasty Foods That Can Actually Lower Your Blood Sugar

With the rising epidemic of obesity and diabetes in the world, it is important to take steps to prevent these serious diseases. Here are some foods that can help to lower and control your blood sugar, if they are added to your diet:

Pickles

A recent Swedish university study showed that eating pickles or adding vinegar to your meal can reduce your blood sugar levels by up to 50%. In addition to pickles, most anything with acetic acid in it, such as vinegar, has a similar effect. It's relatively easy to incorporate vinegar into a meal, just use a vinegar based salad dressing on your salad or use it as a dip for vegetables. Pickles and vinegar works by slowing down or stopping the carbohydrates you ate with the meal from breaking down in your stomach, thus it is absorbed slowly, which stops it from being converted to sugar quickly. The effect is not the same if you consume bread and butter type pickles, as those contain sugar.

Almonds

A recent study testing the effects of almonds on blood sugar had surprising results. People who ate about 2 ounces of almonds after eating a piece of sliced white bread had significantly lower blood sugar than those who did not eat the almonds. The study also showed similar results when testing with mashed potatoes and rice. Almonds are rich in antioxidants and other vitamins and minerals, so they are an excellent addition to anyone's diet, whether you have blood sugar problems or not.

Sweet Potatoes

High in fiber and carotenoids, sweet potatoes are also high in antioxidants that have been shown to help your body better respond to insulin. Skip the brown sugar and syrupy canned varieties, however, as they won't have the same effect.

Flaxseed

This includes flax seeds and flax oil supplements. Some studies have shown a stabilization of blood sugar levels with supplementation or increased consumption of flax seeds and flax seed oil.

Cinnamon

A study in Pakistan showed that diabetics who took small does of cinnamon, from just 1/4 teaspoon to 2 teaspoons per day, had their bodies natural insulin production increase. The study also showed beneficial effects on cholesterol.

So, why not try baking some sweet potatoes and don't forget the cinnamon! While you're at it, have a big salad with a tasty and tangy dressing of olive oil and vinegar.

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