With the changes in modern lifestyles and diets, diabetes has become a global health problem. In order to control blood sugar, many people start to look for various methods. In recent years, there has been a popular belief that vinegar has the function of lowering blood sugar, so some people have started drinking vinegar every day before meals. So, does vinegar really have a hypoglycemic effect?Today, we will answer this question by experienced old Chinese medicine practitioners.
First of all, let's be clear that vinegar is indeed referred to as a medicine in TCM theory. In the "Compendium of Materia Medica", it is recorded: "vinegar can help digestion, regulate the spleen and stomach, and remove greasy stagnation." Vinegar is an acidic food that stimulates the secretion of gastric juice, enhances the function of the gastrointestinal tract, and helps to digest food. At the same time, acidic foods can also delay the emptying time of food in the stomach, so that food is digested more fully and thoroughly. This is why some people choose to drink vinegar after eating greasy foods.
However, the specific mechanism by which vinegar lowers blood sugar is not well understood. From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, vinegar has the medicinal properties of invigorating blood circulation and removing blood stasis, clearing channels and regulating qi, and the relationship between vinegar and blood sugar is more indirect. In addition, vinegar can promote gastric juice secretion, improve digestion, and can absorb nutrients from food more effectively. Some studies have shown that vinegar can also slow the rise in blood sugar after a high-carbohydrate meal, which plays a role in lowering blood sugar to some extent. However, the results of these studies are not consistent, and further exploration and verification are needed.
Ancient famous doctors also had some vinegar prescriptions for lowering blood sugar. For example, the "Vinegar Divine Pill" recorded in "Qianjin Fang" has the effect of tonifying the spleen and stomach and harmonizing qi and blood. There are also many records about vinegar in the "Yellow Emperor's Neijing", such as "drinking vinegar, the main five showers", "vinegar does not drink, drinking will urinate", which shows that the application of vinegar in traditional Chinese medicine theory is not useless.
Although vinegar has some hypoglycemic benefits, it does not mean that we can rely on vinegar to solve the problem of diabetes. For patients with diabetes, it is important to control blood sugar levels through proper dietary control, medications** and lifestyle changes. For the general population, moderate consumption of vinegar is no problem, but it should not be excessive. Excessive consumption of vinegar can irritate the gastric mucosa, causing problems such as stomach ulcers and stomach pain.
In summary, vinegar has a certain hypoglycemic effect, but its specific mechanism is not clear. As a traditional Chinese medicine, vinegar has the effect of promoting digestion, regulating qi and activating blood to a certain extent. However, we should still maintain a reasonable diet, regular work and rest, and appropriate exercise in our daily life to stay healthy, especially for diabetic patients. If you have blood sugar problems, you should seek medical attention and follow your doctor's advice.
Health References:
1.Guo Liwei, Peng Ying. Pharmacological effects and clinical application of vinegar and acetic acid[J].Shandong Medicine, 2011, 49(42): 53-54