Is Your Sweet Tooth Taking Its Toll on Your Health?

It’s a well-known fact that diets with a high glycemic index (GI)—a value that measures the effect that foods have on your blood sugar metabolism—can cause disruptions with your body’s ability to metabolize glucose. And this spells trouble if you’ve been sneaking in a few extra servings of cookies, candy and pie lately.

Studies have shown that high-GI diets can increase the likelihood of poor blood sugar metabolism by as much as 59 percent, leading to significant imbalances in both men and women.^1-2 High-GI diets are also linked to lipid and inflammatory imbalances—while low-GI diets, on the other hand, have been shown to assist in the management of blood sugar metabolism, inflammatory mediators, cholesterol, body fat and weight.^3-7

Obviously, good health starts with sensible eating habits—but you’ll be happy to hear that there also are several other safe and natural ways to reduce the toll your sweet tooth takes on your blood sugar metabolism.

The simplest of these strategies is to boost your daily fiber intake. Because fiber slows the absorption of sugars, it exerts a positive influence on glucose and insulin levels over time, while helping you to manage your waistline and balance cholesterol.^8-11 Studies also show that increasing your dietary fiber intake may help to modulate your body’s levels of the inflammatory marker C-reactive protein (CRP) for increased cardiovascular and total-body health.¹²

Ideal natural sources of fiber include psyllium, guar gum, apple pectin, rice bran, citrus pectin, prune fiber, beet fiber, and larch arabinogalactan—all of which can be found in VRP’s daily fiber supplement, EZ Fiber™. But this isn’t the only solution available to you in the quest to keep your blood sugar in check.

Nature also offers a wide range of botanicals that have scientifically demonstrated safety and effectiveness for balancing glucose with regular use—such as goat’s rue, which has been shown to support healthy blood sugar metabolism and insulin levels, while helping with weight management.^13-14 The trace element vanadium delivers similar benefits to your glucose metabolism, as do bitter melon and cinnamon—while select nutrients (including vitamins C, E, B6 and n-acetyl cysteine) help by offering critical antioxidant support against free radicals and oxidative stress.^15-22 All of these ingredients can be found in VRP’s daily glucose-balancing formula GluControl™.

Finally, chromium—also available as a standalone supplement from Vitamin Research Products®—may prove to be your strongest ally in the face of a carbohydrate binge. Research shows that this trace mineral enhances insulin efficiency and promotes long-term blood sugar and craving control… all while fighting both belly fat and supporting healthy cholesterol.^23-26

References:

1. Schulze MB, Liu S, Rimm EB, et al. Glycemic index, glycemic load, and dietary fiber intake and incidence of type 2 diabetes in younger and middle-aged women. Am J Clin Nutr. 2004 Aug;80(2):348-56.

2. Sakurai M, Nakamura K, Miura K, et al. Dietary glycemic index and risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in middle-aged Japanese men. Metabolism. 2011 Jul 29. Published Online Ahead of Print.

3. Krog-Mikkelsen I, Sloth B, Dimitrov D, et al. A low glycemic index diet does not affect postprandial energy metabolism but decreases postprandial insulinemia and increases fullness ratings in healthy women. J Nutr. 2011 Sep;141(9):1679-84.

4. Armendariz-Anguiano AL, Jimenez-Cruz A, Bacardi-Gascon M, et al. Effect of a low glycemic load on body composition and Homeostasis Model Assessment (HOMA) in overweight and obese subjects. Nutr Hosp. 2011 Jan-Feb;26(1):170-5.

5. Miller CK, Headings A, Peyrot M, et al. A behavioural intervention incorporating specific glycaemic index goals improves dietary quality, weight control and glycaemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes. Public Health Nutr. 2011 Feb 28:1-9. Published Online Ahead of Print.

6. Finley CE, Barlow CE, Halton TL, et al. Glycemic index, glycemic load, and prevalence of the metabolic syndrome in the cooper center longitudinal study. J Am Diet Assoc. 2010 Dec;110(12):1820-9.

7. Kelly KR, Haus JM, Solomon TP, et al. A low-glycemic index diet and exercise intervention reduces TNF(alpha) in isolated mononuclear cells of older, obese adults. J Nutr. 2011 Jun;141(6):1089-94.

8. Wolfram T, Ismail-Beigi F. Efficacy of high-fiber diets in the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Endocr Pract. 2011 Jan-Feb;17(1):132-42.

9. Ventura E, Davis J, Byrd-Williams C, et al. Reduction in risk factors for type 2 diabetes mellitus in response to a low-sugar, high-fiber dietary intervention in overweight Latino adolescents. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2009 Apr;163(4):320-7.

10. Pal S, Khossousi A, Binns C, et al. The effect of a fibre supplement compared to a healthy diet on body composition, lipids, glucose, insulin and other metabolic syndrome risk factors in overweight and obese individuals. Br J Nutr. 2011 Jan;105(1):90-100.

11. Ziai SA, Larijani B, Akhoondzadeh S, et al. Psyllium decreased serum glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin significantly in diabetic outpatients. J Ethnopharmacol. 2005 Nov 14;102(2):202-7.

12. Butcher JL, Beckstrand RL. Fiber’s impact on high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels in cardiovascular disease. J Am Acad Nurse Pract. 2010 Nov;22(11):566-72.

13. Witters LA. The blooming of the French lilac. J Clin Invest 2001 Oct;108(8):1105-7.

14. Palit P, Furman BL, Gray AI. Novel weight-reducing activity of Galega officinalis in mice. J Pharm Pharmacol. 1999 Nov;51(11):1313-9.

15. Thompson KH, Lichter J, LeBel C, et al. Vanadium treatment of type 2 diabetes: a view to the future. J Inorg Biochem. 2009 Apr;103(4):554-8.

16. Ahmad N, Hassan MR, Halder H, et al. Effect of Momordica charantia (Karolla) extracts on fasting and postprandial serum glucose levels in NIDDM patients. Bangladesh Med Res Counc Bull. 1999 Apr;25(1):11-3.

17. Anderson RA. Chromium and polyphenols from cinnamon improve insulin sensitivity. Proc Nutr Soc. 2008 Feb;67(1):48-53.

18. Mang B, Wolters M, Schmitt B, et al. Effects of a cinnamon extract on plasma glucose, HbA, and serum lipids in diabetes mellitus type 2. Eur J Clin Invest. 2006 May;36(5):340-4.

19. Khan A, Safdar M, Ali Khan MM, et al. Cinnamon improves glucose and lipids of people with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2003 Dec;26(12):3215-8.

20. Voziyan PA, Hudson BG. Pyridoxamine: the many virtues of a maillard reaction inhibitor. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2005 Jun;1043:807-16.

21. Qian P, Cheng S, Guo J, et al. Effects of vitamin E and vitamin C on nonenzymatic glycation and peroxidation in experimental diabetic rats. Wei Sheng Yan Jiu. 2000 Jul;29(4):226-8.

22. Kamboj SS, Chopra K, Sandhir R. Neuroprotective effect of N-acetylcysteine in the development of diabetic encephalopathy in streptozotocin-induced diabetes. Metab Brain Dis. 2008 Dec;23(4):427-43.

23. Vladeva SV, Terzieva DD, Arabadjiiska DT. Effect of chromium on the insulin resistance in patients with type II diabetes mellitus. Folia Med (Plovdiv). 2005;47(3-4):59-62.

24. Rabinovitz H, Friedensohn A, Leibovitz A, et al. Effect of chromium supplementation on blood glucose and lipid levels in type 2 diabetes mellitus elderly patients. Int J Vitam Nutr Res. 2004 May;74(3):178-82.

25. Martin J, Wang ZQ, Zhang XH, et al. Chromium picolinate supplementation attenuates body weight gain and increases insulin sensitivity in subjects with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2006 Aug;29(8):1826-32.

26. Geohas J, Daly A, Juturu V, et al. Chromium picolinate and biotin combination reduces atherogenic index of plasma in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a placebo-controlled, double-blinded, randomized clinical trial. Am J Med Sci. 2007 Mar;333(3):145-53.