A fruit can drastically lower the body’s blood sugar levels ‘in 30 minutes’ according to a new study. A study in Diabetes journal showed that 100-200mg of fig extract lowered blood sugar within 30-120 minutes.
And eating more fresh or dried figs might help to reduce blood sugar levels by up to 13.5 per cent in eight weeks, according to a review by food scientists at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago.
A recent study published in the journal Diabetes looked at the blood sugar-lowering effects of fig extract known as ABAlife. Figs are packed with a natural hormone called abscisic acid (ABA), which is responsible for managing the body’s glucose response and reducing inflammation. Researchers compared how varying amounts of the extract did for lowering participants’ blood sugar levels to a glucose solution.
For the first test, participants consumed 50 grams of the glucose solution dissolved in 250 ml water then 200 mg. of fig extract mixed with 250 ml of water. The second test involved them drinking the same amount of glucose solution water before intaking 100 mg. of fig extract in 250 ml of water.
Figs have a range of health benefits but new studies have shown a dramatic impact on blood sugar levels (Image: Getty)
Symptoms of high blood sugar
Symptoms of high blood sugar usually come on gradually and may only start when your blood sugar level gets very high.
Common symptoms include:
- feeling very thirsty
- peeing a lot
- feeling weak or tired
- blurred vision
- losing weight
The study’s authors found that consuming 100 to 200 mg. of the fig extract was the sweet spot for lowering blood sugar within 30 to 120 minutes. They also hinted that it did a better job at this than the glucose solution.
This allowed them to confirm that the ABA from figs is effective for managing blood sugar overall.
There are other health benefits too – they are packed with heart-healthy nutrients like potassium, magnesium, and fibre. Potassium helps balance sodium levels, reducing high blood pressure and lowering the risk of heart disease.
The soluble fibre in figs binds with cholesterol molecules in the digestive system, preventing them from being absorbed into the bloodstream, which helps lower bad cholesterol (LDL) levels and improves cardiovascular health.Eli Brecher, a registered nutritionist said: ““Sweet from naturally occurring sugar and rich in calcium, potassium and prebiotic fibre, figs help to nourish gut bacteria. As a source of vitamin K1, they also help to support bone health.”
Figs are packed with a plant hormone called abscisic acid, which helps to manage the body’s blood glucose response.
Causes of high blood sugar
Common causes of high blood sugar in people with diabetes include:
- being unwell
- feeling stressed
- eating too much sugary or starchy food
- being less active than usual
- missing doses of diabetes medicine
You can also get high blood sugar if your diabetes medicine is not working well, you’re taking certain medicines (such as steroids) or you recently had an operation.
