This article discusses the best vegetables for diabetes control in everyday life. You can’t completely eliminate diabetes, but you can’t completely control it either.
The best vegetables for type 2 diabetes are low on the glycemic index (GI) scale, rich in fiber, or high in nitrates that reduce blood pressure.
Are you, a family member, or a friend suffering from diabetes and you would want to help? This essay is written specifically for you and your family. Vegetables such as peas, beans and spinach are rich in fibre and thus an ideal addition to the diet of a diabetes patient.
A healthy diet along with regular exercise is one of the best ways to manage diabetes.
10 Best Vegetables to control diabetes effectively
Here are the ten best vegetables to control diabetes effectively or even reverse your diabetes no matter how the situation is; by resorting to the consumption of these vegetables, you can easily bring your diabetes level to the lowest point.
Below are the best vegetables to control diabetes:
1. Spinach
Spinach is considered a superfood for people and one of the natural remedies for diabetic patients especially those with type 1 and type 2 diabetes due to its high fiber, lutein, folate, iron and calcium content.
Spinach is very low in calories and carbs, which means it doesn’t have much of an effect on your blood sugar because high-carb foods raise blood sugar.
You must therefore limit your carbohydrate intake in order to control your blood sugar.
The low calorie content of spinach is a major benefit for people with diabetes, as losing just 5-10% of your body weight can help improve your blood sugar levels as well as your blood pressure and cholesterol.
Therefore, to reap the maximum health benefits of dark green leafy vegetables, you must include spinach in your daily diet.
You can consume spinach by making its delicious soups or by making spinach-rich vegetables and drinking a glass of spinach juice.
2. Onions
Onions are a low-calorie vegetable to include in your diabetic diet. They contain high amounts of fiber, iron, potassium, vitamin C and various essential micronutrients called flavonoids.
Quercetin, a highly concentrated flavonoid antioxidant in onions, has been shown to reduce symptoms of diabetes.
Therefore, including onions in your diabetic diet can be an excellent dietary choice for controlling blood sugar levels. Hence, it is noted as one of the best vegetables to control diabetes
3. Green Beans
Green beans are a delicious and nutritious vegetable choice for people with diabetes because these beans are low in carbs, have a low glycemic index and low glycemic load, and are considered an excellent food for preventing and managing diabetes.
They are rich in several vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. They are an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, iron, chlorophyll, fiber and folic acid.
They also contain phenolic compounds and flavonoids which reduce the risk of diabetes and obesity.
The antioxidants in green beans help protect against free radical damage that occurs at a higher rate in diabetes.
Therefore, people with diabetes are advised to include green beans in their daily diet.
Green beans can be simply cooked and served as a side dish or added to salads or soups and used as a key ingredient in many dishes.
4. Kale
Kale is a superfood for diabetes because it is naturally low in calories and carbohydrates and high in fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin A, beta-carotene, zeaxanthin and lutein.
It is also a good source of calcium, potassium, vitamin B6, iron and copper. Studies have shown that a high fiber intake can lower blood sugar in people with type 1 diabetes. People with type 2 diabetes may see an improvement in blood lipids and insulin levels.
Diets rich in the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin can help support eye health which is the important risk factor for people with diabetes.
Kala also contains an antioxidant known as alpha-lipoic acid which may help lower glucose levels, increase insulin sensitivity and prevent oxidative stress-induced changes in patients with diabetes.
Therefore, it is recommended to include kale in your diabetic diet. It can be eaten raw in salads or sandwiches and can be added to your delicious soups and stir-fries.
Taking these vegetables everyday will lower your sugar level and control diabetes as it is noted as one of the best vegetables to control diabetes
Check this also: 8 Benefits of Eating Watermelon During Pregnancy
5. Okra or Okro
Okra, commonly known as ladyfingers, is a nutritious food choice for people with or at risk of diabetes. It is low in calories and rich in dietary fiber and many essential vitamins, minerals and other nutrients which provide many health benefits and can be used to treat diabetes, lower cholesterol and boost the immune system.
Increased dietary fiber intake has been shown to promote better glycemic control and improve insulin sensitivity.
Many people with diabetes have reported a drop in their blood sugar levels after soaking cut pieces of okra in water overnight and then drinking the juice in the morning.
In Turkey, roasted okra seeds have been used as a traditional diabetes medicine for generations. Therefore, by including okra in your daily diet along with a healthy exercise routine, you may be able to effectively control your blood sugar.
6. Bitter Melon
Bitter Gourd is also known as bitter melon is a wonderful fruit vegetable for diabetic patients as it contains three anti-diabetic substances known as charantin vicine and an insulin-like compound known as polypeptide-p .
These substances work individually or together to help lower blood sugar levels.
Bitter melon is also known to contain a lectin that lowers blood glucose concentrations by acting on peripheral tissues and suppressing appetite similar to how insulin effects in the brain.
Several clinical studies have been conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of bitter melon in the treatment of diabetes.
7. Cabbage
Cabbage is an extremely nutritious vegetable to include in your diabetic diet as it is an excellent source of vitamins K, C and B6 and is a very good source of manganese, fibre, potassium, vitamin B1, folate and copper.
It is very low in calories and carbohydrates and also has a low glycemic index.
Cabbage also has many antioxidant and anti-hyperglycemic properties that make it a diabetes medicine.
Therefore, diabetics are recommended to include cabbage in their daily diet. You can include cabbage in your diet by adding it to your salads, soups or by preparing its vegetable or its juice.
8. Broccoli
Broccoli is a wonderful vegetable to include in your diabetic diet because, although it is very low in calories, it is extremely rich in essential vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and antioxidants.
It is a good source of fiber, folate, potassium, vitamin K and vitamin C.
One of the most potent compounds in broccoli is the phytochemical sulforaphane. Therefore, diabetics should include broccoli in their daily diet.
9. Asparagus
Asparagus is a very popular vegetable around the world and also known for its unique and tasty taste. It is a good source of folate, vitamin K, iron and fiber.
Scientists have found that eating asparagus on a regular basis keeps blood sugar levels in check and stimulates the body’s production of insulin, the hormone that helps it absorb glucose.
Increased fiber intake has also been shown to lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, improve insulin sensitivity and improve weight loss in obese people to experience the health benefits of asparagus.
Read more on health: Top 6 Foods you should never eat on empty stomach
10. Tomatoes
One of the vegetables to control diabetes is tomatoes. Tomatoes are an excellent vegetable fruit choice for diabetic patients because tomatoes are low in calories and carbohydrates, which helps diabetics maintain a healthy weight.
Tomatoes are also a good source of potassium, manganese, vitamin C, vitamin K and lycopene which is a powerful antioxidant and may reduce the risk of heart cancer and macular degeneration.
The researchers concluded that eating tomatoes may help reduce the cardiovascular risk associated with type 2 diabetes.
Therefore, people with diabetes or at risk of diabetes should include tomatoes in their daily meal plan.
Simply choose fresh tomatoes and cut them into small pieces and add them to your salads or prepare its soups or use them as an ingredient in your variety of vegetable dishes.
Conclusion
Eating these vegetables everyday will help lower the sugar level in your system which will – in the long run – help you in controlling diabetes.
Although there are so many foodstuffs that you can eat to control diabetes, these are the best vegetables to control diabetes effectively amongst others
