Six Greatest Drinks to Reduce Blood Sugar
Certain beverages, when combined with a balanced diet, can help decrease blood sugar and control diabetes.
Water, coffee, green tea, and other beverages provide hydration, antioxidants, and blood sugar advantages.
Sticking to low-sugar, nutrient-dense beverages is a good habit for maintaining stable blood sugar levels and general health.
What you drink influences your blood sugar levels just as much as what you eat. When it comes to lowering your blood sugar, it may seem apparent to avoid sugar-sweetened beverages like soda, fruit juice blends, lemonade, and sweet tea, but other drinks go above and beyond by positively improving your metabolic performance. Here are six sensible, blood sugar-friendly drinks.
Pictured Recipe: Soothing Ginger-Lemon Tea.
1. Water.
Water is hard to argue with because it has no calories. However, it also supplies something crucial for blood sugar regulation: hydration. Drinking plain water is associated with a 6% decreased incidence of type 2 diabetes. 1
The link is even stronger when people convert from sugar-sweetened beverages (such as soda) to plain water, because this reduces sugar and calorie intake, allowing them to maintain a healthy weight, which aids in blood sugar control. Do you dislike simple water? Try the Strawberry, Basil, and Lime Infused Water.
2. Coffee.
Drinking coffee on a daily basis, whether caffeinated or decaf, may reduce your chance of developing type 2 diabetes, according to research. 2. Why? Plant substances known as phytochemicals in coffee may benefit the health of cells in the liver and pancreas, preventing the formation of fatty liver and preserving insulin action (a critical regulator of blood sugar).
One thing to remember: what you add in your coffee matters. If your coffee is a sugar bomb, as is the case with flavored lattes and iced coffee beverages, you will miss out on possible blood sugar advantages. If you don't like black coffee, try this dietitian-approved trick: blend your grounds with a few shakes of cinnamon.
3. Black Tea
Not a coffee drinker? Go for tea. It, too, is a drink linked to a decreased risk of diabetes and diabetes-related problems. 3 Tea components enhance insulin resistance while reducing oxidative stress and inflammation. According to the researchers, these tea components might be turned into products that can assist in managing diabetes in the future.
The majority of studies have been conducted on black and oolong teas (as well as green tea; more on that below!), so choose those varieties if you want to decrease your blood sugar levels. Also, restrict the amount of sugar you add (even honey), just as with coffee. If black tea is too bitter, tea blends such as chai (with no additional sugar) are a fine alternative. Try this diabetes-friendly No-Sugar-Added Raspberry Iced Tea, which is brewed with black tea and has zero calories and no sugar, making it a wonderful choice for maintaining stable blood sugar levels.
4. Green Tea.
If you prefer the taste (or lower caffeine concentration) of green tea, prepare a hot cup. Green tea has been demonstrated to marginally reduce fasting blood glucose levels. 4. Tea's catechins may inhibit some carbohydrate absorption during digestion, enhance glucose metabolism, and reduce oxidative stress, all of which may help lower your blood sugar.
One caveat? Not all research has good results: one study found no evidence that green tea improved fasting blood glucose or other blood sugar indicators in persons with type 2 diabetes. 5 However, green tea is still a zero-calorie, sugar-free beverage, making it an excellent choice for maintaining stable blood sugar levels.
5. Milk
Though milk replacements are popular, the proteins included in dairy may help reduce blood glucose levels after a meal. 6 These proteins, which include casein and whey, delay digestion and increase insulin responsiveness, improving blood sugar levels.
Overall, further study is needed to determine how milk consumption may alter A1C levels. The American Diabetes Association advises nonfat or low-fat milk to reduce saturated fat. 7 Milk also includes carbohydrates—about 12 grams of carbs per 1 cup of 1% milk—so if you have diabetes, make sure to include it in your carb target for the meal or snack. 8
6. Tomato juice.
Tomato juice is a low-sugar, high-flavor beverage. A short study of 25 healthy women found that those who drank roughly 7 ounces of tomato juice 30 minutes before having a carbohydrate-rich breakfast had lower blood sugar levels after the meal than those who drank water beforehand. 9 This was despite the fact that the tomato juice contained more calories. The fiber in tomatoes may assist in delaying digestion, so decreasing the rise in blood sugar after eating.
Add a celery spear to your tomato juice glass to make it more appealing. If you want to produce a blended veggie juice, try this tomato-vegetable juice.
Other Tips for Managing Your Blood Sugar Levels
In addition to selecting beverages that help reduce blood sugar, you'll want to follow these guidelines: 10
Eat meals and snacks on a regular basis, as spending too long without them might cause your blood sugar to drop.
Maintain a workout schedule. Your muscles absorb glucose (blood sugar) when you move. Walking is a great way to reduce your blood sugar, especially after meals.
Consume balanced, appropriately portioned meals. Consuming carbohydrate-rich meals on its own might cause an increase in blood sugar. Consuming the same dish with healthy quantities of protein and fat reduces your blood sugar response.
Our Expert's Take
Water is the greatest drink for managing blood sugar levels. But you can drink more than simply water. Try coffee, black or green tea, or milk. If you want to go fancy, a little glass of tomato juice would suffice. Simply count the carbs in any beverages consumed throughout that meal to ensure that you stay on target. Bottoms up!