Vinegar Lowers Blood Sugar

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Vinegar Lowers Blood Sugar

http://bastyrcenter.org/content/view/897/ & page=1

 

The blood sugar–raising effect of high-carbohydrate foods may be

blunted by adding vinegar to the meal or by serving the meal cold,

report two

new studies in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition

2005;doi:1038/sj.ejcn.1602197 and doi:1038/sj.ejcn.1602238).

 

Disorders of blood sugar regulation, such as metabolic syndrome—a

group of metabolic abnormalities that increase the risk of heart

disease, stroke, and diabetes—may be influenced by dietary changes.

The glycemic

index (GI) is used to describe the blood sugar–raising effects of

different foods.

 

White flour, potatoes, sugar, and white rice have high GIs, which

means they raise blood sugar levels more than foods such as

beans and whole grains. Limiting the intake of high GI foods helps

to keep blood sugar more stable and may also curb the appetite. This

has served as the rationale behind several popular weight-loss

diets, including the Zone and South Beach diets.

 

The GI of foods may be affected by the addition of certain acids to

the

food and the method of preparation and storage. For example,

refrigeration increases the resistant starch content—the portion of

carbohydrate that is not absorbed by the intestines—of boiled

potatoes.

 

As the resistant starch fraction of a food increases, its GI

decreases. Undigested resistant starch that reaches the colon also

increases the production of butyric acid by cells of the colon—a

factor thought to protect against colon cancer. The new studies

examined the effects of

the addition of acetic acid (from vinegar) and refrigeration on the

metabolic responses to different carbohydrate-rich foods.

 

In the first study, 12 participants ate each of the following meals

at one-week intervals: white wheat bread, bread with 18 grams of

vinegar,

bread with 23 grams of vinegar, and bread with 28 grams of vinegar

(about 6 teaspoons).

 

The meals were preceded by a blood draw to test

fasting levels of glucose and insulin. Blood samples were also taken

during the two hours following the meals to assess changes in blood

sugar and insulin levels in response to the varying amounts of

vinegar.

The participants also rated their feeling of fullness or

satisfaction (satiety) after a meal.

 

Blood sugar levels were significantly lower at 30 and 45 minutes and

satiety was significantly greater at 30, 90, and 120 minutes after

the meal with the highest amount of vinegar than after the plain

bread meal.

In general, the higher amount of vinegar in the meal, the greater

the satiety and lower the levels of blood sugar and insulin.

 

In the second study, 13 participants were given each of the

following

meals at one-week intervals: three fresh boiled potatoes, boiled

potatoes that were refrigerated before serving, boiled and

refrigerated potatoes with a vinaigrette sauce containing 28 grams

of vinegar and 8 grams of olive oil, and white bread.

 

Blood samples were taken after an overnight fast and during the two

hours after the meal to measure levels of glucose and insulin. The

GI

and insulin index, a measure of the ability of a food to increase

insulin levels in the blood, were also calculated.

 

The GI and insulin index of the refrigerated potatoes with

vinaigrette were significantly lower than the values for the freshly

boiled potatoes. (A lower insulin index is desirable, as higher

insulin levels may be associated with heart disease development.)

 

The insulin index of the refrigerated potatoes was 28% lower than

that of the fresh boiled potatoes. Blood sugar levels were also

significantly lower at most time

points following a meal of cold potatoes with vinaigrette than after

eating freshly boiled potatoes.

 

The results of these studies suggest that adding vinegar and

possibly olive oil to high-carbohydrate meals may help limit

elevations in blood sugar from these foods. Refrigerating boiled

potatoes is an easy way to

lower the GI of this popular vegetable.

 

Kimberly Beauchamp, ND, earned her bachelor's degree from the

University of Rhode Island and her Doctorate of Naturopathic

Medicine from Bastyr

University in Kenmore, WA. She cofounded South County Naturopaths in

Wakefield, RI. Dr. Beauchamp practices as a birth doula and lectures

on topics including whole-foods nutrition, detoxification, and

women's health.

 

 

 

JoAnn Guest

mrsjo-

www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/Diets