Vinegar Helps Lower the Blood Glucose Level

Lower the blood glucose level is practically what all diabetics work so hard to accomplish. They try hard to follow the rules. They eat healthy meals and they exercise. Some of them on medications or on insulin follow the prescription religiously. They do all they can to lower their blood glucose level. But how come the blood glucose level still goes on a roller coaster ride?

courtesy of freefoto.com Thank goodness that now some kind of help is here. We can put this in our arsenal to fight our battle with diabetes. Do you know what that is? It's vinegar. How does vinegar help improve the blood glucose level, you asked? Many have tested this and what they have found will boggle your mind.

A lot of researches have found that the acetic acid in vinegar improves the after-eating blood glucose level. This is the most important effect of vinegar. But wait a minute for there is more. Vinegar holds back the appetite and makes one feel full. Vinegar can do that?

Yes it can. That is what a study in 2007 found. the researchers discovered that type 2 diabetics who drink 20 grams of apple cider vinegar accompanied by a buttered bagel and juice have improved their sensitivity to insulin. Arizona State University researchers found lower blood glucose levels after eating among those who consumed two teaspoons of vinegar during a meal by around 20%.

The researchers also found out that the improvement from the vinegar worked best when consumed with complex carbohydrates rather than, heaven forbid when taken with foods that are made sweet with sugars and corn syrup. Let me tell you this. This is not the only study purporting the benefits of vinegar this way.

In 2005, there was a study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition that reported findings of similar nature. These researchers tested healthy volunteers as to their reaction to vinegar. They found that those who had the higher intake of vinegar in the morning after an overnight fast felt full up to two hours later and showed better glucose level up to 40 minutes later.

Dr. M. Sugiyama from Japan joined in extolling the vinegar virtue when he reported his findings that the Glycemic Index of white rice was lowered by 25 to 35% when vinegar was added. Remember that GI or Glycemic Index is the scale that measures how carbohydrates affect the blood glucose level. Foods in the lower scale are slower to digest and absorbed which is good news to the control of blood glucose.

Of course there is a need for larger studies on the matter which will confirm these findings. In addition there is a need to know how much vinegar is needed and when to consume it for maximum benefits. That said or written, who will want to drink vinegar anyway. I hate the stuff. I don't like it even when combined with olive oil sprinkled on my salad and fresh fruits. How about you? Let me know if you have some ideas on this, will you?

Here are different ways you can add vinegar to your food:

Dip pieces of roasted pork on a platter of vinegar.

Pork rinds taste better when dipped into a small bowl of vinegar.

Fried fish also taste better when dunked on vinegar.

Spray a combination of one tablespoon of olive oil and two tablespoons of vinegar over steamed vegetables.

As mentioned above, sprinkle 1 teaspoons of olive oil and two teaspoons of vinegar on your salad.

To make meat more tender, marinate it in vinegar.

Put in 2 tsp. of vinegar to hot tea with lemon.

You can use different flavors like balsamic and red wine vinegars and apple cider.

Consume the vinegar at mealtimes for maximum benefit.

The Asians have a recipe where they boil fish in salted water and vinegar, adding eggplant and bitter melon to the mix. And you already know how good bitter melon is for the diabetics. We have a friend who just uses bitter melon to manage his diabetes for decades now. But don't change your treatment plan for we are all different and respond differently. Thank heavens for that is how the world goes around.

By Roger Guzman, M.D. and Evelyn Guzman

Start learning the simple steps to beat diabetes. Go ahead and click that link; See if you are following the steps to beat diabetes.

Here are more links if you want to read all about diabetes diet. Tell me what you think about them.

Diabetes Diet

Diabetes Food List

Diabetes Menu

Diabetes Meal Plan