Control Blood Sugar with a Dose of Vinegar

vinegar

How to Control Blood Sugar with Vinegar

When you have diabetes, keeping your blood sugar levels in check is something you have to pay close attention to. If you don’t, uncontrolled diabetes can lead to a long list of health problems like vision loss, poor circulation, nerve damage, heart disease, or a stroke.

About 30 million people in the U.S. have type 2 diabetes. And another 84 million are at risk for developing the disease. Diet and lifestyle changes can help prevent and control diabetes.

But there’s at least one more way to control blood sugar levels that researchers at the Arizona State University put to the test. Take two tablespoons of vinegar before every meal.

In the study, researchers measured blood sugar levels after participants drank orange juice and ate a bagel with butter. This common breakfast meal is high in carbohydrates and sugar, so researchers expected higher than normal blood sugar levels.

But here’s what happened. When people gulped down two tablespoons of vinegar before eating, blood sugar levels were lower after eating the meal, and higher when they ate the meal without vinegar beforehand. People in the study with pre-diabetes show the biggest improvements in blood sugar levels when they had vinegar before eating.

If trying to gulp down two tablespoons of vinegar sounds impossible, you could easily incorporate this into your diet by adding it to a fruit smoothie or salad dressing.

If you want to prevent or control diabetes, two tablespoons of vinegar before you eat may make a difference. Other ways to control blood sugar levels and prevent or control diabetes include:

  • Maintain a healthy weight. Or lose weight if you need to
  • Eat plenty of plant-based foods
  • Drink more water
  • Get at least 30 minutes of exercise per day
  • Manage stress in healthy ways
  • Get 7 to 8 hours of quality sleep

Wondering how to adjust your diet to prevent or control diabetes? It’s easy. Take a look at our Diabetic-Friendly menu and pick your favorite meals from more than 70 entrees all made with fresh ingredients.

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