People with diabetes suffer from struggle with controlling their blood sugar. The different types of diabetes can bring about the issue of controlling blood sugar levels.
Pregnant women can develop gestational diabetes due to weight gain during pregnancy. This leads to obesity, a risk factor for diabetes. Gestational diabetes causes an auto-immune disease destroying cells in your pancreas and impairing insulin production.
The other types of diabetes include type 1 or insulin-dependent diabetes and type 2 diabetes or insulin-independent diabetes. Since we already know that obesity, is a major risk factor for this chronic disease, it is wise to take measures that aid with weight loss.
For many years, people all over the world have used green juice to help them attain a healthy weight. Weight reduction lowers your risk of developing diabetes. Besides weight management, there are other mechanisms green juice uses to control blood sugar levels.
What should you expect in today’s article? We will discuss the benefits of drinking green juice to your health and the best green juice recipes that work well with blood sugar control. You will also get tips to lower your blood sugar levels when hyperglycemic. So, which is green juice diabetes?
Green Juice Diabetes
Why are we even talking about green juice diabetes? How does green juice assist with regulating your blood glucose level?
Green Juice for Diabetics
People with diabetes can benefit from juices made from non-starchy vegetables like green leafy vegetables and cruciferous vegetables. Homemade juice is definitely better than store-bought juices because the former contains only natural sugars in small amounts while the latter has added sugars and artificial nutrients. Sugary drinks like energy drinks and diet sodas are definitely not a healthy choice, especially for diabetics, due to their impact on blood glucose.
So how will a glass of juice help people with hyperglycemia?
Chlorophyll-rich
Leafy greens are rich in chlorophyll which has been proven to normalize blood glucose. A study done to investigate the effects of chlorophyll supplementation on obesity showed that supplementing with chlorophyll, especially early in life, can help retard weight gain, reduce low-grade inflammation, and improves glucose tolerance.
Antioxidant and Anti-inflammatory Detox Properties
Green juices and fruit juices contain phytochemicals like flavonoids which are antioxidant nutrients that lower inflammation in the body. Research done on rats investigated the phytochemicals, anti-inflammatory properties, and antioxidant properties of fresh juice from nine green leafy vegetables. The study confirms that all green juices showed antioxidant properties. Ajwain and rumex juices showed anti-diabetic-promoting properties. Some of the juices significantly reduced post-meal blood glucose levels.
Rich in Essential Nutrients
These juices contain beneficial nutrients. In addition, their being in liquid form makes the essential nutrients easy to digest and absorb. Green veggies are rich in magnesium which helps improve insulin sensitivity and lowers the risks of diabetes.
Gut Microbiome Balance
Are amazing for the gut. The beneficial nutrients you get from plants like flavonoids and antioxidants also assist in promoting microbial diversity and gut health. Flavonoids, anthocyanins, and carotenoids in these juices play a big role in improving gut health. A proper gut balance helps regulate blood sugar levels. Imbalanced gut microbiota can cause:
- Impaired glucose tolerance and higher risks of insulin resistance.
- Change in the balance of the gut microbiome leads to metabolic disorders like obesity.
- Impaired gut health leads to blood glucose dysregulation.
- Lack of gut microbiome diversity and balance can lead to inflammation which can impair metabolic pathways leading to insulin resistance.
A healthy gut can help people with diabetes manage their blood sugar levels.
Fiber and Blood Glucose Control
Vegetables and fruit juices are a great source of fiber in your diet. The non-digestible carbs, fiber does not add to your carb intake, meaning consuming fiber-rich foods will not cause a blood sugar spike. A study done to assess the effects of diets high in excellent sources of fiber on glycemic control showed that soluble fiber consumption reduces values of post-meal blood glucose by 0.55% and fasting blood sugar by 9.97 mg/dL.
Soluble fiber slows down digestion and absorption of glucose into the bloodstream preventing a sudden spike in blood glucose levels. This kind of fiber also helps improve blood lipid profile by binding with fatty acids which helps reduce low-density lipoproteins (LDL-cholesterol). This reduces the risk of heart disease like heart attacks.
Hydration
Juices are in liquid form meaning they can prevent dehydration. But how is hydration involved in blood glucose management? Hydrating when there is an increase in blood glucose can help your kidneys excrete excess glucose in urine and promotes satiety.
Increasing green juice intake pumps the body in plant nutrients that are beneficial to your overall health. Keep in mind that you need a healthy diet, in addition to your juices for a balanced nutrient composition.
Which Juice is Good for Diabetics?
Not all fruits and veggies are good for people with diabetes. Consuming foods with a high glycemic index and glycemic load cause a rapid increase in blood glucose levels. The right ingredient in your vegetable juice can help increase energy levels and improves your metabolic rate keeping hyperglycemia at bay.
Is Green Juice Good for Diabetics?
Not all fruit and vegetable juices are good for diabetics. If you’re struggling with regulating your serum sugar levels, avoid juices made from these foods:
- Fruits with a high sugar content like pineapples, mangoes, bananas, watermelons, sweet melons, papaya, and oranges.
- Dried fruits like raisins, cranberries, and figs.
- Starchy veggies like root vegetables, corn, and legumes.
Frequent use of high-carb and sugar foods will cause chronic hyperglycemia in diabetics which leads to damage to blood vessels, nephropathy (kidneys), and retinopathy (eyes).
Green juices that are good for diabetics are made from:
- Low-carb fruits like berries (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries), lemons, limes, and avocado.
- Leafy greens like kale and spinach.
- Low-carb veggies like broccoli, celery, bell peppers and cucumbers.
- Natural herbs and spices like ginger, mint, oregano, and cinnamon.
Fruits and vegetables approved on the ketogenic diet are a great source of nutrition for your green smoothies and juices. You will ensure increased nutrient intake while staying within recommended carb limits.
Let’s move to the fun part of juicing, actually making our low-sugar beverages!
Best Juices for Diabetes and High Blood Pressure
I’ll provide you with recipes for the best juices to take to manage your blood pressure and sugar levels. Pay attention to how to naturally lower your blood pressure as well, in addition to using these green drinks.
Best Green Juice for Diabetics
Green juice diabetes includes:
Spinach and Kale Juice
I don’t think it can get any greener than this! Consider low-calorie sweeteners for additional flavor instead of sugar. You will need:
- 2 large cucumbers
- 1 bunch spinach
- 1 bunch kale
- 1 tbsp. ginger, minced
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- Himalayan salt to taste
Throw all your ingredients into a blender and power away! Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Serve cold with salt and lemon garnish.
Blueberry-Celery Smoothie
Switch up your juicing experience by trying out this smoothie! Blueberries are not only delicious, but they are also rich in antioxidants that lower oxidative damage and inflammation. Celery is the low-calorie addition you need for an additional aroma to your drink! You will need:
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 cup frozen blueberries
- Handful ice
- 1 tsp. stevia sweetener (optional)
- 1 tbsp. natural vanilla extract
Blend all your ingredients. Serve in a glass garnished with blueberries.
Bitter Gourd/ Bitter Melon Juice
Bitter gourd or the bitter melon is a powerful fruit for diabetics. Drinking this juice in the morning on an empty stomach can be great for detox. This vegetable contains an insulin-like compound polypeptide P or P insulin that can help lower blood glucose levels. You will need:
- 1 bitter gourd, cut with skin and deseeded
- 1 ginger, chopped
- 2 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- Few mint leaves
- Sea salt to taste
Throw your ginger and bitter gourd into a juicer and extract your juice. Add water to your first juice and stir in all the other ingredients. Add salt and mint to taste. Serve immediately.
Green Cabbage Juice
The low net carbs in cabbage allow for it to be a great addition to a diabetic’s food list. This juice is great for promoting digestive health and for detox. You will need:
- 3 medium cabbage leaves
- 2 leaves chard
- 1/2 cup lime juice
- Fresh mints, a few leaves
- Sea salt to taste
Throw everything, into your blender and power up. Serve immediately. You can use red cabbage as a variation for this recipe and throw in two grape tomatoes.
Can Diabetics Drink Carrot and Beetroot Juice Daily?
Beetroots are root vegetables and are relatively high in carbs. Carrots are high-carb root vegetables as well. A cup serving of this juice contains 14 g of total carbs, 5.1 g of fiber, 8.9 g of net carbs, and 6.6 g of sugar. Carrot juice and beet juice on their own have high glycemic indexes with the former sitting at 86 and the latter at 64.
Carrot beet juice is healthy, but too high in carbs for diabetics. Frequent consumption of this juice can spike your blood glucose and insulin levels.
Bottom Line
Not all green juices are good for people with uncontrolled blood sugar. Green juice diabetes is those made from low-carb fruits and vegetables. Consider the net carbs, glycemic index, and glycemic load of food before adding it to your diabetes management plan.
Which low-sugar juices do you enjoy? Try making the juices I suggested above, you may come across your new fav! Share your recipe variations with us in the comments.
