Rumor: Okra is a good hypoglycemic food

We often see lists of "hypoglycemic foods" that claim to lower blood sugar. Foods such as okra and bitter melon often appear. in the list. Merchants have also spotted the business opportunities of "lowering sugar" and developed various "sugar-lowering foods".

Rumors refuted:

Data show that the prevalence of diabetes among adults in China is 11.6%, with the number of patients reaching 114 million, making it the largest country with diabetes in the world. Therefore, more and more people are paying attention to their diet and blood sugar control.

Okra is a sugar-lowering food that is often recommended. But are “sugar-lowering foods” really reliable? Can eating okra really lower blood sugar?

In fact, okra is just one of many vegetables, and there is no way to talk about its hypoglycemic effect.

Okra is rich in potassium, calcium, vitamin C, vitamin B1, dietary fiber, etc. It is a vegetable with relatively high nutritional value. But it doesn't have a magical blood sugar-lowering effect.

Although some studies have shown that the extract "okra" from okra has certain effects on treating diabetes and diabetic nephropathy in experimental animals, most of these studies have been extracted and concentrated before being used. There is little evidence in experimental animals and in humans. There is a huge gap between animal studies and human studies, and animal studies use large amounts of drugs. It is difficult for people to reach the effective dose through normal diet.

Therefore, this is different from how we usually eat a few okra or drink okra soaked in water. Don’t think that eating a few okra can lower blood sugar.

"Glue-lowering foods" do not exist

In fact, there are no foods in the world that directly lower blood sugar. As long as we eat, blood sugar will rise, because any food will definitely raise blood sugar as long as it is digested and absorbed by the body (except for drinking cold drinks), so there is no food that will lower blood sugar after eating.

However, the digestion and absorption speed of different foods and the speed at which blood sugar rises are different. We usually use the glycemic index (GI) to differentiate. Foods with a glycemic index of less than 55 are considered low GI foods, foods with a glycemic index of 55-70 are considered medium GI foods, and foods with a glycemic index greater than 70 are considered high GI foods. Many of the so-called hypoglycemic foods currently being circulated actually refer to foods with a low glycemic index. Foods with a low glycemic index will increase blood sugar more slowly after being eaten, which helps control blood sugar, but will not lower blood sugar.

Generally speaking, whole grains, beans, dairy and vegetables are foods with a low glycemic index, while sugars and sugar products (such as desserts), rice and flour foods (steamed buns and breads), convenience foods ( Such as potato chips, biscuits, etc.) are mostly foods with high glycemic index.

For patients with diabetes or hyperglycemia, they should try to choose foods with a low glycemic index in their daily diet and eat less foods with a high glycemic index. The key to the diet of diabetic patients is to maintain balanced nutrition on the basis of controlling total energy. Never stop taking medication because of superstition about hypoglycemic foods. You must continue to take hypoglycemic drugs when you should.

Rumor-refuting expert: Ruan Guangfeng, director of the Science and Technology Department of Kexin Food and Nutrition Information Exchange Center

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