3 Simple and Affordable Habits That Lower Blood Sugar Levels, According to Research
Some of them will surprise you!
Good health to all! Let me begin this story with a short quote:
“Health is a priceless wealth. Invest while you can.” ― Bryant McGill
Many people associate investment with financial expenditures or great effort. However, we can improve our health by changing our daily habits that cost little or nothing, and sometimes even save our financial resources.
Today we will talk specifically about three habits by doing or avoiding which we can improve our metabolic and cardiovascular health, and reduce blood glucose levels. This data is based on the results of scientific research!
Taking a short 15-minute walk after a meal
A study published in Diabetes Care compared the effect of three short walks after each meal on glucose metabolism with one long walk in the morning or evening.
Participants in this study were nonsmoking and inactive people, aged 60 or more and with a BMI 35 kg/m2.
Walking speed was measured using a treadmill and was 3 METs
3 METs = 2.5 miles per hour = 4.02 kmh
The results of the study show that three short walks after each meal are significantly more effective in lowering 3-h post-dinner glucose than 45 min of sustained morning or afternoon walking!
Total darkness in the bedroom during sleep
Many people are more comfortable falling asleep in dim light. Others forget to turn it off before going to bed.
Fifty-one percent of people sleep with some level of artificial light in the bedroom!
But not everyone who has this habit knows that even low levels of light (100 lux) have a negative effect on the metabolic level, the body’s sensitivity to insulin, and the cardiovascular system ( it increases heart rate).
This discovery was made by sleep specialists from the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
It is important to emphasize that these changes in body function, were not related to melatonin levels, which according to the study, did not change at this level of light.
The doctors believe that this response of the cardiovascular and metabolic systems is related to the activation of the nervous system in response to light.
Dr. Phyllis Zee, who led the study, commented on the results
“I was surprised that even this fairly, I would say, small amount of light just getting through the eyes to the brain still had such notable effect,”
According to the doctor, 100 lux is the level of illumination that makes reading uncomfortable.
Avoiding dehydration
75 percent of working Americans are chronically dehydrated. And 43 percent of Americans who don’t drink enough water do so because they don’t feel thirsty.
Many also cite lack of time or forgetfulness as the reasons.
There is no universal norm of fluid intake for all people. It is because this number is strongly influenced by height, weight, gender, climate, lifestyle, and health condition, so it is best to ask your doctor about it.
Experts say that the feeling of thirst appears when the body is already dehydrated, so it is not necessary to wait for that feeling.
Moreover, diabetics need to take more fluids because of frequent urination. The same may apply to pre-diabetics, who represent 38 percent of the U.S. adult population
For a long time, doctors have been unable to determine the exact mechanism by which dehydration increases blood glucose levels.
A study led by Stavros Kavouras, director of the Hydration Science Lab at Arizona State University has uncovered this mechanism.
When the body is dehydrated, it increases levels of antidiuretic hormones that increase water conservation in the kidneys.
According to the scientists, study participants had 10–15% higher blood sugar after stimulating these hormones.
Scientists have concluded that antidiuretic hormones that are stimulated by dehydration impair glucose metabolism in tissues.
Dark yellow urine indicates that the body is trying to conserve fluid due to a lack of water. It is also a signal of increased levels of antidiuretic hormone. In such cases, doctor Kavouras recommends drinking more water.
Many of us can improve glucose metabolism and lower blood sugar levels with these simple habits listed above that do not require large financial resources.
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