Maintaining your blood sugar level is essential to your overall health and helps prevent or delay serious issues. Potential factors that influence your blood sugar levels include genetics, stress levels, activity, and body weight. However, you can also lower blood sugar levels by adopting a healthy diet. To help you choose the best foods possible to achieve this goal, we have compiled a list of 10+ foods that will lower blood sugar.

Pumpkin

Pumpkins are rich in antioxidants and fiber, making them the perfect choice for the regulation of blood sugar levels. In many countries such as Iran and Mexico, pumpkin has been traditionally used as a diabetes remedy for many years. Yummy pumpkins are packed with polysaccharides, a type of carbohydrate that has long been studied for its potential to regulate sugar levels. Pumpkins are also enriched with protein and healthy fats, making them perfect foods for the management of blood sugar levels.

Seafood

Seafood is full of healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, protein, and antioxidants that can assist in lowering blood sugar levels. Protein helps prevent postmeal spikes in blood sugar levels, slows digestion, and enhances the feeling of being full. Regularly eating fatty fish such as sardines and salmon can also enhance blood sugar regulation. One study involving 68 obese subjects revealed that eating 750 grams of fatty fish weekly was linked to improved postmeal sugar levels in comparison to those who ate lean fish instead.

Broccoli

Sulforaphane is a plant chemical with blood sugar-reducing properties produced when broccoli is chewed or chopped. Broccoli extract is rich in sulforaphane and has been shown to possess potent antidiabetic effects in several animal, test-tube, and human studies. These properties help enhance insulin sensitivity and reduce oxidative stress markers. Broccoli sprouts are rich in glucosinolate, compounds that also help promote sensitivity to insulin and reduce blood sugar levels in individuals diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

Beans and Lentils

Both lentils and beans are packed with nutrients that can help in bringing down blood sugar levels, such as fiber, protein, and magnesium. They also contain significant quantities of resistant starch and soluble fiber which aid in slowing down digestion and improving postmeal blood sugar response. In a study involving 12 female subjects, it was shown that adding chickpeas or black beans to rice notably reduced blood sugar levels after a meal compared to a meal of rice alone.

Chia Seeds

Consuming chia seeds may help with blood sugar management. According to several studies, eating chia seeds reduces blood sugar levels and improves sensitivity to insulin. A review of several animal studies conducted in 2020 found that consuming chia seeds may reduce the risk of developing certain diseases, including diabetes. A study involving humans revealed that subjects who consumed 25 grams of ground chia seeds along with a sugar solution exhibited a 39% blood sugar level reduction in comparison to subjects who only consumed the sugar solution.

Okra

Okra is a fruit rich in compounds that lower blood sugar, including polysaccharides and flavonoid antioxidants. The seeds also contain properties that lower blood sugar, making them a suitable natural remedy for diabetes. Okra has been found to contain potent antidiabetic compounds such as polysaccharides, as well as the flavonoids quercetin 3-O-gentiobioside and isoquercitrin. While animal studies have shown much promise, more human trials are needed to verify these properties.

Avocados

Avocados are full of fiber, minerals, healthy fats, and vitamins. This means that adding them to any meal will offer substantial blood sugar regulation benefits. Multiple studies suggest that avocados may help lower blood sugar levels in addition to protecting against the development of metabolic syndrome. This syndrome refers to a cluster of conditions that increase the risk of chronic disease, such as high blood sugar.