[Food for Lowering Blood Sugar]
1. Bitter Gourd
Bitter gourd has a very bitter taste and a cooling nature. It has the functions of clearing heat, relieving summer heat, clearing the liver, improving eyesight, and detoxifying. Modern medical research has found that bitter gourd contains bitter gourd glycosides, 5-hydroxytryptamine, glutamic acid, alanine, and vitamin B1. The crude extract of bitter gourd has a similar effect to insulin and can lower blood sugar, effectively preventing and treating diabetes. If diabetic patients do not have spleen and stomach deficiency, they can consume 250g to 500g of bitter gourd daily in the summer.
2. Onion
Onion has a sweet and spicy taste, a slightly warm nature, and similar properties to scallions and garlic. It has the effects of invigorating the stomach, improving appetite, and promoting qi circulation. When consumed together with garlic, onion has a blood sugar-lowering effect. Onion contains a substance similar to the hypoglycemic drug tolbutamide. Regular consumption of onion can help alleviate hunger and lower blood sugar levels. The recommended method is to stir-fry one onion per meal, twice a day, ensuring that it remains tender-crisp without overcooking. Regular consumption of onion can not only help diabetic patients alleviate hunger but also lower blood sugar levels.
3. Wheat Bran
Wheat bran has a sweet taste, a neutral or slightly cool nature. Besides relieving hunger and providing nutrition, it can also nourish the heart and calm the mind. Floating wheat can invigorate qi, relieve heat, and stop sweating; wheat bran can regulate the middle burner, clear heat, and stop spontaneous sweating. The ratio of wheat bran to flour is 6:4. Mix them with eggs to make cakes, which can be consumed as a regular meal or snack for diabetic patients.
4. Konjac
Konjac is a low-calorie, high-fiber food. It is not only nutritious but also has unique medical and health effects. The grape mannan in konjac has a good effect on lowering blood sugar in diabetic patients. Due to its large molecular weight and high viscosity, it is slowly excreted in the intestines, delaying the absorption of glucose and effectively reducing postprandial blood sugar levels. Additionally, konjac has strong water absorption and low caloric value. It can increase satiety, relieve hunger, and reduce weight, making it an ideal food for diabetic patients.
5. Pig Pancreas
Pig pancreas has a neutral nature and can be baked and ground into powder. Long-term consumption has a significant effect on lowering blood sugar and maintaining blood sugar stability.
6. Pumpkin
Pumpkin has a sweet taste and a warm nature. It has the functions of invigorating the middle burner, replenishing qi, and relieving inflammation and pain. Modern research has found that pumpkin can promote insulin secretion and has preventive and therapeutic effects on diabetes.
7. Guava
Guava has a certain effect on regulating blood sugar, and guava leaves are even more effective than the fresh fruit. Animal experiments have shown that the active ingredient in guava leaves is flavonoid glycosides, which do not significantly improve insulin levels. Therefore, it is speculated that guava leaves regulate blood sugar by improving the utilization of glucose by peripheral tissues. Therefore, it is beneficial for diabetic patients to drink guava leaf infusion instead of tea on a long-term basis.
8. Eel
Yellow eel contains "Eel Substance A" and "Eel Substance B," which have the function of restoring and regulating the normal physiological function of blood sugar. Experimental studies have shown that eel substance has a significant blood sugar-lowering effect similar to insulin. Therefore, it is beneficial for diabetic patients to consume eel regularly (cooking methods are not limited). Generally, consuming 100g to 150g daily for 3 to 4 weeks can lower fasting blood sugar and reduce urine sugar.
10. Tremella Mushroom, Mulberry Leaves, and Mulberries
In addition, tea, lotus leaves, corn silk, carp, loach, mung beans, and other foods have certain therapeutic effects on symptoms such as excessive thirst and irritability in diabetic patients. Foods rich in dietary fiber such as wheat bran, konjac powder, kelp, and seaweed also indirectly regulate blood sugar levels. It must be emphasized that these foods only have an auxiliary therapeutic effect and cannot be relied upon as the sole treatment for diabetes.
There are also many low-fat and low-sugar foods in our diet, which have many benefits for weight loss, lowering blood lipids, and reducing blood pressure. Low-fat foods include:
Buckwheat, oats (both can lower blood pressure, blood lipids, and blood sugar), millet, potatoes, bitter gourd, winter melon, spinach, carrots, tong hao vegetable, celery, coriander, hollow heart vegetable, shepherd's purse, water spinach, water chestnut, bamboo shoots, eggplant, goji berries, yuzhu, Chinese yam, seaweed, jellyfish, various scaled fish, snake meat, turtle, abalone, skinless poultry and livestock meat, black fungus, white fungus, black sesame seeds, pomegranate, tomatoes, etc.
