There are so many reasons to include blueberries in your diet. They are not only delicious, but also healthy for the heart and brain. Now there is more and more research on howBlueberries can even help get your blood sugar under control.
Blood sugar rises after eating
After you eat a meal or snack, your digestive system breaks down carbohydrates into glucose, and the hormone called insulin regulates blood sugar levels. “Insulin ensures that glucose gets into the cells, where it can be used to generate energy,” explains endocrinologist Dr. Deena Adimoolam.
In a healthy personrises the blood sugar level normally immediately after eating an. Then the insulin starts to work and the blood sugar levelusually returns to normal two hours after eating. Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body cannot use insulin properly or does not make enough of it.
“People with type 2 diabetes struggle with insulin resistance,” says Dr. Adimoolam. “This means that people with type 2 diabetes make insulin, but their bodies are resistant to the effects of insulin, resulting in ahigh blood sugar levelsleads.”
A new study published in the journalNutrientspublished found that eating blueberries can help the body regulate blood sugar in several ways.
In the study, researchers collected blood samples from participants shortly after they ate fresh blueberries with a slice of white bread. These participants also ate 150 grams of blueberries per day for six days, and their blood samples were taken on day seven, right after they ate a slice of bread without blueberries. Blood samples from a control group were also collected.
Just 15 minutes after eating, the participants had theAte blueberries with her slice of white bread,lower glucose peaksthan the control group. This suggests that consuming blueberries may help the body regulate blood sugar levels after consuming simple carbohydrates, such as white bread. The researchers suspect that this could be due to certain processes that occur in the digestive tract after consuming blueberries.
They also found that the participants who ate blueberries for six days had no significant differences in blood sugar levels compared to the control group. However, participants who had eaten blueberries in the previous six days had lower insulin levels than the control group two hours after eating the bread. These results suggest that daily consumption ofBlueberries improve the body's sensitivity to insulin.The study authors suggest this is because blueberries have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.
It is important to note that the subjects in the study engaged in little to no exercise. “Exercise makes muscles more sensitive to insulin, leading to possible improvements in blood sugar levels,” says Dr. Adimoolam.
The study showed this in men with type 2 diabetes
This new research follows a study from last year that specifically looked at blueberry consumption in men with type 2 diabetes and found that eating freeze-dried blueberries improved health parameters such as their glucose and insulin metabolism, blood pressure and even cholesterol levels .
Blueberries contain polyphenols and anthocyanins, which are known to reduce inflammation throughout the body. “Some believe that there is a component of inflammation in type 2 diabetes that leads to worsening insulin resistance,” says Dr. Adimoolam. “Anthocyanins could influence chronic inflammation in type 2 diabetes, which could theoretically improve blood sugar levels. However, we do not have comprehensive data to support this finding.”
However, if you have type 2 diabetes, there could be a downside to eating blueberries. While anthocyanins may play some role in helping your body regulate blood sugar levels, "fruits like blueberries contain fructose, which also has the opposite effect, increasing your blood sugar levels," says Dr. Adimoolam.
References:
Nutrients 2021,Acute Consumption of Blueberries and Short-Term Blueberry Supplementation Improve Glucose Management and Insulin Levels in Sedentary Subjects
Current Developments in Nutrition (March 9, 2020)Effect of Blueberry Consumption on Cardiometabolic Health Parameters in Men with Type 2 Diabetes: An 8-Week, Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial
