How Certain Carbs Affect Your Blood Sugar - Let's change diabetes together (2024)

FAQs

What are the best carbs to not spike blood sugar? ›

Carrots. These are considered non-starchy (as are string beans, tomatoes, mushrooms, peppers, broccoli, asparagus and cauliflower) and good in a diabetes diet. High-fiber grains. Farro, quinoa and barley keep sugars more stable than white rice or pasta.

Carbohydrates (carbs) are one of the three big nutrients that make up food. The others are protein and fat. Carbs give your cells energy. People with diabetes need to know about carbs because all carbs raise blood sugar levels.

Try to eat less of these: refined, highly processed carbohydrate foods and those with added sugar. These include sugary drinks like soda, sweet tea and juice, refined grains like white bread, white rice and sugary cereal, and sweets and snack foods like cake, cookies, candy and chips.

Whole grains

Whole grains, such as millet or quinoa, can be a better choice than “white grains,” which are high in carbohydrates and can cause blood sugar spikes. Whole grains have higher amounts of fiber, phytochemicals, and nutrients and can help to regulate blood sugar.

Several studies indicate that restricting carb intake to 20–50 grams per day can significantly reduce blood sugar levels, promote weight loss, and improve cardiovascular health for people with diabetes (9, 10, 11, 14 , 15 , 16 ).

According to the CDC, people living with diabetes should get about 45% of their total calories each day from carbohydrates. For females, they recommend 3–4 servings of carbohydrates, at 15 grams (g) per serving. For males, they recommend a slightly higher amount of 4–5 servings. This is equivalent to 45–75 g each meal.

Left unchecked, going low-carb can increase the risk of dehydration, as well as electrolyte imbalances, Urbanski explains. This happens because when the body stores carbohydrates, it stores water along with it. Furthermore, in response to reduced blood sugar levels, the body doesn't produce as much insulin.

You limit dairy products, red meat, sweets, added sugars, sodium (salt), and highly processed foods. Some additional guidelines include focusing on seasonal produce and reading food labels to help you avoid added sodium and sugar.

What raises A1c the most? ›

It's true that carbohydrates affect your blood sugar more than other nutrients you eat. Chances are that if you overdo starchy carbs on a regular basis, your A1c number will start to creep up. But remember, all carbs aren't a problem.

Water is the best all-round drink. If your family likes flavoured waters, make your own by adding a squeeze of lemon or lime, or strawberries.

Low GI foods, like complex carbs, won't raise your blood sugar very quickly. Examples of these include oatmeal, pasta, sweet potatoes, fruits, and carrots. Medium GI foods include rice, couscous, pita bread, and brown rice.

Avoid nuts that are coated in salt — Dobbins notes that sodium is bad for your blood pressure — and sugar. More bad news if you love the sweet-and-savory combo: Chocolate-covered peanuts and honey-roasted cashews are high in carbs and not the best choice when you have diabetes, Dobbins says.

On the other hand, complex carbohydrates, like whole-grain breads, pastas, and sweet potatoes, are chock-full of vitamins and fiber. It takes your body longer to break these down, which is why they don't have as a large of an effect on your blood sugar levels.

Besides helping with digestion and lowering cholesterol, fiber-rich foods contain slow-digesting carbohydrates. These carbohydrates help block elevations in blood sugar after eating because fiber takes longer to digest in your intestines. This allows a slower release of glucose into your bloodstream.

As a general rule: 10g of carbohydrate will raise blood glucose levels by 2-3 mmol/l. How much carbohydrate should I eat? 130g of carbohydrate daily is often quoted as the minimum amount we need but the body can adapt to less. The Reference Intake for adults is 260g of carbohydrate daily.

When you pair fiber-rich foods with carbohydrates, it helps prevent blood sugar spikes and also reduces rapid drops in blood sugar. Adding too much fiber too quickly may cause some GI distress, so Hisamatsu suggested going “low and slow” when increasing fiber intake and making sure to stay adequately hydrated.