Nature’s 7 Best Remedies for Blood Sugar Control
While refined carbs and sweet treats may be the ultimate comfort food, they come with a downside: high carbohydrate and sugar intake cause blood sugar levels to spike. Aside from weight gain, consistently high blood sugar can result in serious health issues, including diabetes, inflammation, hormonal imbalances, and an increased risk of heart disease (1, 2).
The best way to avoid blood sugar spikes is to moderate your intake of refined carbs and add in some exercise daily. Easier said than done. Thankfully, nature has some natural remedies that can help regulate your body’s blood sugar levels as part of a healthy lifestyle.
With stable blood sugar levels, you may experience more consistent energy throughout the day, avoid blood sugar-related complications, and even find it easier to maintain a healthy weight. So, here are seven of nature’s best remedies for natural blood sugar control.
1. Cinnamon
Ceylon cinnamon is a superstar when it comes to blood sugar control. Scientists have found that cinnamon can improve your body’s response to insulin—a hormone critical for blood sugar regulation (3).
One study found that people with pre-diabetes who took cinnamon extract experienced an 8.4% decrease in fasting blood sugar than those who took a placebo (4). Another type 2 diabetics study found fasting blood sugar levels reduced by over 10% in the cinnamon group (5).
However, if you’re taking high doses of cinnamon, seek out Ceylon cinnamon since the type typically sold in supermarkets (Cassia) contains a compound called coumarin that can be toxic in large doses.
2. Vitamin D
Vitamin D deficiencies are exceptionally common, especially during the winter months in northern latitudes (6). This impacts blood sugar control because evidence suggests that low vitamin D influences insulin resistance.
When your cells become less responsive to insulin, the insulin becomes less effective, which results in chronically high blood sugar levels. It’s believed this is why low vitamin D levels are associated with developing type 2 diabetes (7). The good news is that getting enough vitamin D may help.
Vitamin D can interact with a region of your brain called the hypothalamus to improve blood sugar control and reduce insulin resistance (8). In one study, daily vitamin D supplementation significantly improved both fasting blood sugar levels and A1C levels (9).
