High blood sugar poses serious health risks. If left unchecked, it can leave you blind and cause nerve damage, kidney failure, heart problems, stroke, and other complications. It also affects your mental health and causes mood swings and fatigue. All in all, it makes your life miserable, so you should find effective ways to deal with it. And this is where soy comes in.
Soy is a popular superfood. Not only is it a rich source of protein, but it can also help with several ailments, such as those caused by high blood sugar. Soy contains several nutrients that can help lower blood sugar levels naturally.
In this article, we’ll look at how soy can help lower blood sugar levels naturally. So if you want to manage diabetes or are looking for ways to maintain healthy blood sugar levels, you’ll find everything you need to know in this article.
The Link Between High Blood Sugar Levels and Chronic Diseases
There is a relationship between high blood sugar levels and chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. High blood sugar levels occur when the body cannot properly regulate the amount of glucose in the blood. This is due to insufficient insulin secretion or insulin resistance.
Diseases from imbalanced glucose levels can also lead to other complications. Diabetes could cause blindness, kidney failure, and heart disease. Cardiovascular disease, which includes various conditions that affect blood vessels and the heart, damages blood vessels and increases inflammation. Cardiovascular disease claims about 7.9 million lives yearly, making it the leading cause of death worldwide.
Because soy can improve glucose metabolism and inhibit carbohydrate absorption, it can help control blood sugar levels. Soy contains essential ingredients such as dietary fiber, phytosterols, and saponins, as well as anti-inflammatory properties that increase insulin sensitivity and slow the absorption of carbohydrates, preventing blood sugar spikes and keeping blood sugar levels at an optimal level.
As part of the shift to natural treatment alternatives, soy, and U.S. soy in particular, has gone mainstream. U.S.-produced soy is grown, harvested, and manufactured under strict guidelines and regulations. The result is high-quality and safe soy products.
So if you want to use soy to regulate your blood sugar levels, ensure it comes from a reliable source. That way, you can be sure that you’re enjoying the many health benefits of soy, including regulating blood sugar levels while staying safe.
Now let’s take a look at how soy does its magic!
Four Ways Soy Helps Lower Blood Sugar Levels
1. A High-Protein, Low-Carbohydrate Option
Soy foods such as tofu, soy milk, and soy nuts are rich in protein and carbohydrates, which help regulate blood sugar levels. Unlike carbohydrates, protein is more satiating and helps to
Manage cravings and prevent overeating. It also contains leptin and ghrelin hormones, which help regulate hunger and balance blood sugar levels.
Eating fewer carbohydrates prevents blood sugar spikes after each meal. When you eat carbohydrates in large amounts, the body turns them into glucose. So switching to a low-carbohydrate diet reduces the amount of glucose and calories that reach your blood, helping to regulate blood sugar levels and prevent weight gain.
Research shows that a diet with soy protein can help balance blood sugar levels and reduce the risk of complications in type 2 diabetics. A research shows that type 2 diabetes patients who ate a high-protein diet like soy controlled their blood sugar better and had a lower risk of complications than those who ate a high-carbohydrate diet.
However, a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet isn’t ideal for everyone. Be sure to talk to your doctor before changing your diet to avoid complications.
2. Increases Insulin Sensitivity
The hormone insulin is produced by the pancreas and plays a vital role in regulating blood sugar levels. Insulin sensitivity is critical for the body to convert glucose into energy. Insulin resistance means that more insulin is needed to control blood glucose levels. This leads to high blood glucose levels.
Soy products contain plant compounds called isoflavones that can increase insulin sensitivity. Taking soy isoflavones allows your body to use insulin to lower blood sugar levels. Researchers believe that soy isoflavones mimic the effects of estrogen, improving insulin sensitivity.
In one study, researchers found that blood sugar levels of people with type 2 diabetes improved when they consumed soy protein instead of animal protein. According to the study, soy products increase insulin sensitivity, which helps lower blood sugar levels.
Remember, consuming soy isoflavones alone may not produce the desired results. Combine it with other dietary and lifestyle adjustments such as regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, and limiting sugar and processed foods.
3. Inhibit Carbohydrate Intake
Another way soy regulates blood sugar is through saponins and phytosterols, inhibiting carbohydrate absorption. A study shows that soy inhibits the absorption of carbohydrates by inhibiting the enzyme alpha-glucosidase, which speeds up the conversion of carbohydrates and starch into glucose for absorption in the intestine, resulting in a rise in blood sugar levels.
Additionally, soy contains soluble fiber, which helps prevent blood sugar spikes, especially in people with type 2 diabetes. By slowing the breakdown of carbohydrates in the intestines, fiber causes blood sugar levels to rise slowly and gradually.
4. Reduces Inflammation
High blood sugar and inflammation have a complex relationship, as one can cause the other. Inflammation, in particular, affects the body’s cells and causes insulin resistance. And since the body needs insulin to absorb glucose for energy, a poor response to insulin leads to high blood sugar.
Both inflammation and high blood sugar can lead to chronic diseases such as cardiovascular problems and type 2 diabetes. Fortunately, soy is rich in anti-inflammatory properties that can increase insulin sensitivity and reduce inflammation.
Conclusion
If you want to keep your blood sugar in check, you need soy. Soy is rich in nutrients that can balance blood sugar levels in various ways. Also, soy foods are low in calories and rich in proteins that help control blood sugar levels. They improve glucose metabolism by increasing insulin sensitivity, reducing inflammation, and slowing carbohydrate absorption.
Before changing your diet, however, you should always consult a doctor. Aside from regulating blood sugar levels, soy is nutritious and can improve your health in many ways. So be sure to include some soy in your diet, whether it’s tofu, soy nuts, soy sauce, soy milk, miso, tempeh, etc.
