Diabetes: The 30p food that could ‘substantially’ lower blood sugar levels in ‘minutes’

Type 2 diabetes can be a 'devastating diagnosis' says expert

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Type 2 diabetes is characterised by high blood sugar levels caused by problems with insulin production. Patients are either unable to make enough insulin or their insulin doesn’t work properly. Stripped off this mechanism, blood sugar levels can scale up to dangerous heights. Luckily, certain lifestyle tweaks can help prevent this from happening.

A part of type 2 diabetes is lacking the key mechanisms for blood sugar control.

Under normal circumstances, insulin takes up glucose from your blood so it can be turned into energy in your cells.

Not having this mechanism can cause damage to blood vessels and hike your risk of heart disease and stroke due to high levels of glucose compiling in your blood.

What you eat and drink plays a big role in this condition. One food, in particular, that could help kelp keep your blood sugar levels in check are chickpeas, according to The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

The research contrasted two studies that looked at 19 and 20 participants respectively.

The participants consumed carbohydrates from either chickpeas, white bread or wheat-based foods.

The first study was conducted on three separate days, while the second one lasted for six weeks.

The researchers found that blood sugar was “substantially lower” 30 and 60 minutes after having the chickpea meal.

However, the study also reports that there were no significant differences in blood sugar in the long-term study.

Also, another setback of this research could be that the participants were all healthy.

But there’s one more study published in the Journal of Food Science and Technology looking at the effects of chickpeas on blood sugar.

This study compared canned chickpea consumption with white bread and bottled water, all bought from the local market.

When it comes to the chickpea preparation, the legumes were heated in a microwave for 90 seconds before eating.

The study then found that chickpeas were able to “improve” blood sugar control and suppress appetite.

But similarly to the previous study, the researchers only recruited healthy participants.

More research, considering patients with type 2 diabetes, might be needed.

Overall, pulses including chickpeas have a low glycaemic index so they don’t cause spikes in your blood sugar levels after eating, Diabetes UK reports.

The charity added: “It is important to check with your diabetes team for specific advice on how to count the carbs in pulses as there is no one-size-fits-all approach to this.”

What are the symptoms of type 2 diabetes?

The main symptoms of this condition include:

• Peeing more than usual (especially at night)
• Feeling thirsty all the time
• Feeling very tired
• Unintentional weight loss
• Itching around your penis or vagina, or repeatedly getting thrush
• Cuts or wounds healing slowly
• Blurred vision.

The NHS advises seeing a GP if you suffer from any of the symptoms of type 2 diabetes or you’re worried that you may have a higher risk.

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