Maintaining steady blood sugar levels is important for a healthy body and helps prevent chronic diseases. Eating a balanced, healthy diet is the best way to maintain blood sugar levels along with regular exercise. Recently, a study found that adding herbs and spices to foods can also increase the ability to lower blood sugar and also offers powerful antioxidants to the diet as well.
Causes of Fluctuating Blood Sugar Levels
When people eat, blood sugar is created from the food and stored in cells for energy. Eating carbohydrates, starches and sugar can cause the body to create too much blood sugar quickly so the pancreas has to step in and release insulin to balance out the blood. Excess blood sugar that cannot be stored in cells is stored in the liver and muscles. If the body is lacking in blood sugar by skipping meals or eating too little, the pancreas releases glucagon, a hormone that assists in releasing the glucose stored in the liver. Continuous fluctuations in blood sugar causes the liver, pancreas and adrenal glands to overwork and can eventually lead to type-2 diabetes as well as high blood pressure and heart disease.
Symptoms of Fluctuating Blood Sugar Levels
Too little blood sugar in the body, known as hypoglycemia, means that there is inadequate amounts of glucose in the brain and can lead to a number of symptoms. Symptoms of hypoglycemia include:
- dizziness
- weakness
- fatigue
- concentration problems
- depression
- anxiety
- memory troubles
- irritability
- rapid heart beat
- excessive sweating
- seizures
- coma
Too much blood sugar, known as hyperglycemia, is a key symptom of diabetes. Symptoms of hyperglycemia include:
- fatigue
- anxiety
- depression
- concentration problems
- nausea
- shortness of breath
- dry mouth
- nerve damage
- coma
- blindness
Managing blood sugar levels is important for everyone, not just diabetics, in order to stay healthy.
Adding Herbs and Spices to Food to Manage Blood Sugar Levels
In a study of 24 common herbs and spices, the University of Georgia found that they not only helped to lower blood sugar levels but also inhibited tissue damage and inflammation that occurs from high blood sugar levels. Herbs and spices contain high quantities of the antioxidant-rich compounds phenols which protects against damage caused by diabetes and aging. Their study found that the spices cloves and cinnamon and the herbs oregano and sage had higher concentrations of phenols than foods such as blueberries and cranberries, known for their high antioxidant content.
The researchers stated that herbs and spices are easy to buy, generally affordable and easy to use for lowering blood sugar levels. Using common kitchen spices and herbs will not add many calories to food and have no side-effects when used in moderation. Yet they can double, or even triple, the medicinal value of any meal.
The herbs and spices in the study included:
- basil
- bay Leaf
- black pepper
- celery seed
- chili powder
- cumin
- curry powder
- garam masala
- marjoram
- mint
- oregano
- parsley
- rosemary
- sage
- tarragon
- thyme
- turmeric
- allspice
- apple pie spice
- cinnamon
- cloves
- ginger
- nutmeg
- pumpkin pie spice
Adding herbs and spices to the diet is a safe and healthy way to help lower blood sugar levels while adding antioxidants to the diet. Diabetics should always talk to their doctor before changing their diet in any way.
Sources:
Journal of Medicinal Foods “Inhibition of Protein Glycation by Extracts of Culinary Herbs and Spices” Retrieved August 3, 2010.
University of Georgia “Study: Spices may protect against consequences of high blood sugar” Retrieved August 3, 2010.
Deanna Lynn Sletten - Deanna Lynn Sletten has been a freelance writer for newspapers, regional magazines and websites for 20 years. She specializes in the ...
