As the pace of modern life accelerates, people's eating habits are constantly changing. As a common metabolic disease, hyperglycemia has gradually attracted people's attention. As for the effect of food on blood sugar, there have been various theories circulating in the market.
Among them, sweet potatoes are known as "small treasure troves of nutrition", but they are also regarded by some people as a "life-booster" for high blood sugar. So, are sweet potatoes an enemy or a friend of high blood sugar? Today, we will come to this question and ask the director of the Department of Internal Medicine to recommend some foods that will help control blood sugar for us.
First, let's learn about the nutritional value of sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes are rich in dietary fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, iron and other trace elements, which have a good effect on promoting digestion and enhancing immunity. However, sweet potatoes also contain certain starch and sugar, which has made some people suspicious of them.
Regarding the relationship between sweet potatoes and high blood sugar, the director of the Department of Internal Medicine said that although sweet potatoes contain a certain amount of sugar, it does not mean that it will directly cause blood sugar to rise. The glycemic index (GI) of a food is an important indicator of the increase in blood sugar caused by food.
Sweet potatoes have a relatively low GI and are classified as low-to-medium GI foods, which means they don't cause blood sugar spikes quickly. In addition, the dietary fiber in sweet potatoes helps delay gastric emptying and reduce blood sugar fluctuations. Therefore, moderate consumption of sweet potatoes will not cause much impact on patients with high blood sugar.
On this basis, the director of the Department of Internal Medicine also recommended the following five foods that can help control blood sugar:
Oats are a low-GI, high-fiber food that helps delay the rise in blood sugar. In addition, the -glucan in oats has the effect of lowering cholesterol and improving gut health. People with high blood sugar can eat oats as a staple food for breakfast, with milk or soy milk.
Bitter melon contains an ingredient called "bitter melon saponin", which has the effect of lowering blood sugar. At the same time, the vitamin C and minerals in bitter gourd also help to improve the body's immunity. People with high blood sugar can use bitter gourd as a vegetable delicacy and cook it with other ingredients.
Seaweed is rich in dietary fiber, iodine, calcium, and other nutrients, which help lower blood sugar and blood lipids. In addition, seaweed also has a good feeling of satiety, which is suitable as a ** and sugar control food. Patients with high blood sugar can eat seaweed as a soup or salad.
Although apples contain some sugar, they have a relatively low GI value and are rich in nutrients such as dietary fiber and vitamin C. Eating apples in moderation can help replenish the nutrients your body needs without causing much of an impact on your blood sugar. People with high blood sugar can eat apples in moderation between meals.
The tea polyphenols in green tea have a variety of effects such as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, which can help improve insulin resistance and lower blood sugar levels. Patients with high blood sugar can drink green tea in moderation every day, which can not only enjoy the fragrant tea taste, but also play an auxiliary role in blood sugar control.
In short, sweet potatoes are not a "life-booster" for high blood sugar, and eating them in moderation will not have much effect on blood sugar. Patients with hyperglycemia should pay attention to the principles of controlling total calorie intake, increasing dietary fiber intake, and eat more foods that help control blood sugar, such as oats, bitter gourd, seaweed, apples and green tea.