This versatile ingredient can help
to keep your blood sugar levels in control.
Prediabetes and type 2 diabetes are both characterized by high
blood sugar levels. This happens when your body's cells resist insulin, causing
your pancreas to enhance amounts of insulin significantly. This causes your
blood sugar levels to spike after a while.
Experts recommend exercise, giving up smoking, reducing alcohol
use, and adopting a diabetic-friendly diet to maintain good blood glucose
levels.
While we strongly advise you to speak with your doctor first to
create a meal plan, some foods that people with diabetes can benefit from being
included in their diet.
According to research, consuming seeds, especially chia seeds, may
aid in the management of diabetes or prediabetes.
Chia seeds have multiple health advantages. These high-fibre,
high-protein seeds have been shown to aid digestion, weight loss, and heart
health. In addition to these well-known advantages, new research suggests that
chia seeds can aid in diabetes treatment.
According to a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition, eating chia seeds can help you manage insulin resistance, a frequent
condition connected with diabetes.
Another study published in 2021 looked at what happened when
persons with diabetes ate 40 grams of chia seeds every day for 12 weeks. The
group that consumed chia seeds had significantly lower blood sugar levels than
the group that did not, along with other factors such as healthy food,
exercise, and medications if needed, at the end of the 12 weeks.
Chia seeds' positive effects are primarily due to their high
content, especially soluble fibre. This sort of fibre, which can also be found
in oats, apples, and beans, aids in slowing digestion and hence controlling
blood sugar levels.
If you're sold on chia seeds and looking for new ways to integrate them into your diet, try making a healthy chia seed jam, using them as an oatmeal topping, making an overnight pudding, or even putting them into your water!