Insulin is a hormone produced in the pancreas which helps the sugar from digested food find its way into the cells, where it is needed for energy. Insulin resistance occurs when the cells in a person’s body become desensitized to the insulin and refuse to let the glucose in; the result is higher blood sugar levels and higher insulin levels as the pancreas works harder to produce enough of the hormone to be effective.
Chronically high blood sugar and insulin levels put a person at risk not only for Type 2 diabetes, but for weight gain, cardiac disease, hypertension and even cancer. However, there are natural foods and spices that can decrease insulin resistance and reverse this process before it can do permanent damage.
Turmeric
It should not be surprising, with all its other health benefits, that turmeric should also be able to help decrease insulin resistance. In a recent study which divided some 240 pre-diabetic patients into two groups, the group which received supplementation with 250mg of turmeric had a 0% rate of developing diabetes; the group which received the placebo, on the other hand, had a 16.4% rate of diabetes development. (1)
Ginger
Ginger is botanically related to turmeric and so has many of the same properties and active ingredients. In one study on the use of ginger for diabetics, 88 patients were divided into two groups, one of which received a placebo and one of which received 3 grams of ginger in capsule form daily. At the end of the eight week study, the group which had been treated with ginger decreased their average daily blood sugar by 10.5% while the placebo group had actually increased their blood sugars by 16%. (2)
Cinnamon
Cinnamon, like ginger and turmeric, has a long history of both medicinal and culinary use. In a meta-analysis of many studies on the use of cinnamon for diabetes, findings have been consistent that cinnamon does help to lower fasting blood glucose levels and improve the ease with which cells respond to insulin. It is believed that cinnamon works through slowing the emptying of the stomach and thus avoiding spikes in blood sugar levels. (3)
Berries
Berries of all kinds are an excellent food for those with diabetes or pre-diabetes, since it appears that after meals containing berries, the body needs less insulin to keep blood sugar levels normal. In one study from Finland, participants were asked to eat bread with or without berries; it was found that when the bread was consumed by itself, there was a spike in blood sugar levels but that these levels were greatly reduced when berries, too, were on the bill of fare. (4)
So for those who are looking for a natural way to lower their insulin resistance without having to take diabetic medication, look no further than the herbs, spices and foods listed above. One and all, they have a been shown to normalize blood sugar levels without any harmful side effects and allow for a more natural form of diabetes management.
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