Type 2 diabetes can be a 'devastating diagnosis' says expert
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Type 2 diabetes means your pancreas does not produce enough insulin or the insulin it does produce is not taken up by the cells. Insulin is a hormone that regulates the amount of blood sugar in your body. Stripped of this mechanism, blood sugar levels are left to run riot – this can inflict damage on the body.
Fortunately, you can compensate for poor insulin production by making sensible dietary decisions.
Specific items have been touted for their blood sugar-lowering properties and one of the most promising is garlic.
Speaking to Express.co.uk, doctor Sarah Brewer, working in association with CuraLin, outlined the blood sugar-lowering benefits of eating garlic.
According to doctor Brewer, the effect can be ascribed to ajoene – a compound found in garlic.
Research suggests “ajoene can lower glucose levels by 25 percent”, she noted.
What’s more, chomping down on “two to three” garlic cloves a day can lower LDL-cholesterol enough to cut your risk of a heart attack or stroke by 25 percent, said doctor Brewer.
LDL cholesterol is a waxy substance that can clog up your arteries. It often comes hand in hand with diabetes.
“Recent research suggests that garlic oil improves glucose tolerance and can decrease protein loss through the kidneys,” added doctor Brewer.
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What the research says
One of the most comprehensive investigations into the relationship between garlic consumption and blood sugar levels was published in the journal Food & Nutrition Research.
Researchers scanned the PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and China National Knowledge Intern databases to arrive at a more definitive conclusion.
Nine trials involving 768 type 2 diabetes patients were included in the meta-analysis, and the dose of daily garlic (allicin) supplement ranged from 0.05g to 1.5g.
“Current data confirms that garlic supplement plays positive and sustained roles in blood glucose,” the researchers concluded.
General tips to lower blood sugar
As a general rule, you should opt for foods that rank low on the glycemic index to tame blood sugar levels.
The glycaemic index (GI) is a rating system for foods containing carbohydrates. It shows how quickly each food affects your blood sugar (glucose) level when that food is eaten on its own.
Carbohydrate foods that are broken down quickly by your body and cause a rapid increase in blood glucose have a high GI rating.
High GI foods include:
- Sugar and sugary foods
- Sugary soft drinks
- White bread
- Potatoes
- White rice.
Low or medium GI foods, on the other hand, are broken down more slowly and cause a gradual rise in blood sugar levels over time.
They include some fruit and vegetables, pulses and whole grain foods, such as porridge oats.
Many people have type 2 diabetes without realising. “This is because symptoms do not necessarily make you feel unwell,” explains the NHS.
Symptoms of type 2 diabetes include:
- Peeing more than usual, particularly at night
- Feeling thirsty all the time
- Feeling very tired
- Losing weight without trying to
- Itching around your penis or vagina, or repeatedly getting thrush
- Cuts or wounds taking longer to heal
- Blurred vision.
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