High blood sugar (glucose), or hyperglycemia , even in the range of borderline sugar levels, not diagnostic for diabetes, is a continuous and progressive risk factor for cardiovascular disease . To reduce blood sugar, in addition to a proper diet and to a healthy lifestyle , you can enlist the help of some nutrients , which can boast Health Claims authorized by EFSA in relation to glycemic control.
It is well known that type 2 diabetes is linked with an increased incidence of cardiovascular disease, especially of the coronary arteries, peripheral arteries and cerebrovascular system .
Scientific evidence indicates , however, that the alterations in blood sugar concentration that may precede diabetes - blood glucose borderline levels ( 100/110 -125 mg / dl fasting) - show the clinical features of insulin resistance syndrome with an increased risk of developing cardiovascular complications.
It is not yet clear whether hyperglycemia is a direct cause of an increased cardiovascular risk or if it represents only a marker of a more complex metabolic condition .
What are recognized as effective natural remedies for high blood sugar ?
The "fundamental pillar" for the management of hyperglycemia and diabetes is not any medication but an healthy lifestyle .
An healthy and balanced diet (low in simple sugars such as glucose, in high-fat foods and high glycemic load foods ) and regular physical activity, important in reducing an eventual overweight.
There are also nutrients for which the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has approved health- claims, namely health benefits-related informations that a product can claim on its label, related to blood glucose control .
The nutrients that proved to be beneficial for blood glucose control influence glucose metabolism at different levels.
The chromium in its trivalent form is currently the only nutrient recognized useful for the maintenance of normal blood glucose levels.
How do you explain its usefulness?
Hyperglycemia is a common symptom of chromium depletion in humans, which is reversed by the administration of chromium.
But in which foods can we find significant amounts of chromium ?
The largest and the most common food sources of chromium are mussels , oysters, dried dates , pears, whole wheat flour, tomatoes and broccoli.
Other nutrients were recognised useful by EFSA for the reduction of postprandial glycaemic responses (postprandial blood sugar ), an important index of cardiovascular risk.
Postprandial blood glucose is a normal physiological response of our body that varies in entity and duration and can be affected by meal type and individual characteristics.
There are several nutrients that, if included and consumed in meals, were able to reduce the postprandial blood glucose .
One of these nutrients is the hydroxy propyl methyl cellulose (HPMC) , a food additive , which showed significant effects in both non-diabetic obese subjects and in patients with non-insulin dependent diabetes . The effective HPMC dose for this purpose is 4 grams per meal.
Even soluble fiber (arabinoxylan , beta -glucans from barley and oats , pectin) can boast the claim concerning the reduction of postprandial blood glucose .
The mechanism by which these nutrients could exert the claimed effect is related to the
increased viscosity of the meal bolus when soluble fiber is added. This determines a delay in the absorption of nutrients, including glucose, resulting in a lower postprandial blood glucose.
While for arabinoxylan the health claim may be used for a food that contains at least 8 g of fiber rich in arabinoxylan (AX ) from wheat endosperm (at least 60% of AX in terms of weight) per 100 g of available carbohydrates in a portion quantified as part of the meal , in the case of beta-glucans from barley and oats the effective dose is of 4 grams of beta-glucans per 30 g of available carbohydrate in a portion quantified as part of the meal.
The dose of pectin which is considered to be effective is of 10 grams in the context of a meal.
Where to find soluble fiber?
In addition to foods "designed ad hoc" for consumers who are sensitive to the problem of high blood sugar and containing the above mentioned nutrients, it is important to remember what foods are naturally rich in soluble fiber : in order of importance (Source INRAN ) there are boiled artichokes , pearl barley, locust bean, dried plums , rye flour , oatmeal and many other foods including , among the most used, beans and breakfast cereals for children.
There are also other nutrients such as resistant starch and fructose that boast claims related to blood glucose control, but considering the different use and mechanism of action, we'll discuss in the next article.
Sources:
http://www.ausl.pr.it/page.asp?IDCategoria=626&IDSezione=5899&ID=429149
"Diabete e corretti stili di vita"
EFSA Journal 2011
http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sindrome_metabolica
http://www.eufic.org/article/it/malattie-legate-alimentazione/diabete/artid/Il-cromo-nella-dieta/
Reppas C, Dressman JB., Viscosity modulates blood glucose response to nutrient solutions in dogs., Diabetes Res Clin Pract., Aug;17(2), 1992
www.inran.it
http://www.giornaledicardiologia.it/
Cristina Bianchi, Stefano Del Prato, Roberto Miccoli, "Iperglicemia e rischio cardiovascolare" - Il pensiero scientifico editore
Image Courtesy of Praisaeng/FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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