Powerfoods That Beat Diabetes

There have been new findings that one can manage their diabetes complications and blood sugar levels by eating the right kind of food. Particular kinds of food are full of nutrients that help in maintaining blood sugar levels, prevent heart disease and even avoid the nasty effects of diabetes retinopathy. The following are the top foods that help in your daily grind against the effects of diabetes.

Apples. A study in Finland found that men who ate the most number of apples and other foods packed with guercetin had twenty percent less risk in dying from heart illnesses due to diabetes. Other guercetin packed food items are onions, tomato, green leafy vegetables and most types of berries.

Cinnamon. A recent study done at the Human Nutrition Research Center in Beltsville, Maryland found that ingesting half a teaspoon of cinnamon each day can help cells become more sensitive to insulin, making these cells better at converting blood sugar into fuel for normal processes. With long-term use, diabetics found that cinnamon is able to curb the spikes often resulting after a meal and heart condition improvement.

Citric Fruits. Recent studies that diabetics have low vitamin C levels in their bodies. This would mean antioxidant packed citrus fruits would be great as snacks and being low in fat, high in fiber and packed with other healthy nutrients, having fruits would be a great part of the day's meals.

Cold Water Fish. Diabetics have twice the risk of developing heart disease compared to those who are diabetes free. Thus omega 3 fatty acid rich diets found in cold water fish, such as wild Alaskan salmon, sardines and Atlantic mackerel would lower LDL cholesterol levels and triglycerides while raising good cholesterol.

Fiber Rich Food. Research conducted at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center have found that when individuals increase their fiber intake to 50 grams per day results in blood sugar level improvement. It would be best to have 13 daily servings of a mixture of fruits, vegetables, beans, brown rice and pastas, bread and cereal.

Green Tea. When an individual suffers from chronic inflammation resulting from ingestion of high fat food, absence of any form of exercise, low intake of fruit, vegetables and good fat can increase an individual's risk of having a heart attack. This kind of diet would also result in low absorption capacity of blood sugar and one way to counteract this is taking in flavonoids found in green tea.