In order to have enough energy in everyday life and to boost the brain, blood sugar should be kept stable. The glycemic index tells how quickly different carbohydrates are absorbed from the intestines into the blood. The higher the glycemic load of food, the more it raises blood sugar and the pancreas must produce the insulin hormone to bring the sugar level down to normal.
Excessively high blood sugar is most often signaled by fatigue. In addition, the symptoms include large amounts of urine, dehydration and increased thirst. Constantly high insulin concentration increases the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
– About 700,000 Finns have fasting or post-meal blood sugar elevated to such an extent that we can talk about pre-diabetes. It is a huge part of the population, says the nutritionist Reijo Laatikainen.
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25 grams per day
The nutritional recommendation gives most of us a solid pillar of blood sugar control. In overweight people, the biggest effect on blood sugar is achieved by losing weight and not by restricting the diet. For others, the best way to keep blood sugar steady is to reduce refined carbohydrates in particular. They lack the diabetes-protecting fibers found in other carbohydrates.
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– Small doses of these are not a significant burden, which is why, for example, the WHO limits sugar intake to 5 percent. This would mean a maximum of 25 grams of added sugar per day when the energy is 2,000 kilocalories per day, explains Laatikainen.
Therefore, especially juices and sodas containing a lot of sugar, pastries, cereals and candy should be consumed carefully.
Protein slows down sugaring
A meal without protein increases blood sugar more than the same meal with protein.
– This is talked about very little, and therefore it may come as a surprise to many. Protein also slows down the emptying of the stomach when it is eaten with carbohydrates, Laatikainen says.
The effect of protein increasing the secretion of the insulin hormone is useful when there is still some insulin secretion left. On the other hand, in advanced type 2 diabetes, even protein does not cause sufficient insulin secretion.
Too much is too much protein. It is good to remember that it is partly converted into carbohydrates and mainly into adipose tissue. A suitable protein intake for an adult is 1.1–1.3 grams per day per kilogram of body weight. For those aiming for muscle growth, the optimal amount is 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight per day with strength training.
A splash of oil to start the meal
The risk of type 2 diabetes decreases when you consume plenty of vegetables and root vegetables. This effect is especially noticeable in dark leafy vegetables, such as spinach and arugula, as well as cabbage plants. The explanation may lie in the natural nitrate contained in plants.
The best effect on post-meal blood sugar occurs if vegetables and protein-containing food are eaten before carbohydrate-rich food, Laatikainen explains.
– At least eating salad and vegetables first, especially together with oil, wine vinegar and nuts or seeds, is apt to lower post-meal blood sugar spikes.
Each main meal should have at least 100–150 grams of vegetables.
The addition of a splash of oil or an oily salad dressing reduces post-meal blood sugar, especially because the emptying of the stomach slows down.
It would be good to get fats from fish and plant products – but not from palm or coconut oil.
– You shouldn’t aim for a diet that is too low in fat, Laatikainen reminds.
The sweetness of the berries is good
You don’t have to cut out all sugar either – quite the opposite, actually. There is evidence that berries, eaten as a dessert, can moderate the rise in blood sugar caused by a meal, despite the fact that they contain sugar.
– It sounds incredible that adding food containing sugar to a meal can reduce the rise in blood sugar, but this is actually the case with berries.
The reason has been thought to be that the function of the enzymes that break down sugars and carbohydrates slows down due to the polyphenols in the berries. This was also shown by Riitta Törrönen’s work group’s studies with lingonberry and blackcurrant. On the other hand, there is no such evidence for bananas and grapes, for example.
– It must be remembered that in type 1 diabetics such effects do not apply in quite the same way as, for example, in pre-diabetics, Laatikainen points out.
Expert Reijo Laatikainen, nutritionist.
This article has appeared in Hyvä tervey magazine. As a subscriber, you can read all issues free of charge from the digilehdet.fi service.
Source: www.hyvaterveys.fi
