The toll of diabetes is rising at breakneck speed, partly because the condition is inextricably linked to obesity. Health institutions around the globe have made it overwhelmingly clear that a good diet offers the best protection against the disease. While some foods are advised against, others are encouraged for their lowering effects on blood glucose. Ginseng, which can be consumed in myriad forms, could lower blood sugar in just 30 minutes.
Advice issued by Harvard Health offers a general outline of foods to avoid for diabetes prevention.
The website states that carbohydrates should be chosen wisely, “ideally, from vegetables, whole grains, and fruits.”
It continues: “Avoid highly refined carbohydrates such as white bread, pasta, and rice, as well as candy, sugar soft drinks, and sweets.
“Refined carbohydrates tend to cause sharp spikes in blood sugar, and can boost blood triglyceride levels.”
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Fortunately, other foods have demonstrated polar opposite effects on blood glucose, helping them to drop in a short space of time.
Ginseng, for example, a root plant touted for its anti-diabetic properties, has been shown to lower blood sugar levels in the space of just half an hour.
One study published in the Journal of Medicinal Food noted a significant decrease in blood glucose levels 30 minutes after a group of subjects with impaired fasting glucose consumed a Korean variety of red ginseng.
The study is one of many to confirm that both Asian and American ginseng decrease blood glucose in type 2 diabetics.
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The authors noted: “These studies suggest that American ginseng extract is effective and safe as an additional treatment in the management of type 2 diabetes.”
Generally speaking, however, ginseng has seldom demonstrated significant effects on A1C, fasting insulin or insulin resistance.
One 2016 meta-analysis did however find improved triglycerides, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoproteins after using ginseng.
These effects can be attributed to ginseng’s soluble fibre, which binds to lipids inside the digestive tract and drags them out of the body.
This antioxidant protection, in turn, can halt the production of abnormal cells and growth, the archetypical mechanism of cancer.
In protecting cells, researchers have established ginseng could lower the risk of developing cancer by 16 percent.
Long-term use or high doses of ginseng can lead to undesirable side effects, however, so cautious intake is warranted.
Reports of side effects with ginseng supplementation include diarrhoea, insomnia, headaches, rapid heartbeat, blood pressure fluctuations and breast tenderness.