Diabetes is a rising health concern all over the country and as per Ayurveda, maintaining normal blood sugar levels is vital for your overall health and to prevent the condition. You can do it with a healthy diet, regular exercise, proper eating habits, maintaining a healthy body weight and consuming anti-diabetic superfoods and herbs on a regular basis.
One can try the below spices for those who have diabetes to ease the symptoms and control their blood sugar levels –
1. Cinnamon
Cinnamon is one of the world’s most popular spices used for centuries as an herbal medicine in Ayurveda. Powdered cinnamon has the ability to lower blood sugar levels by stimulating insulin activity. It contains bioactive components that can help prevent and fight diabetes.
• Mix one-half to one teaspoon of cinnamon in a cup of warm water and drink daily for optimum results.
2. Turmeric
Turmeric is a good spice to control high blood sugar levels. It has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-atherosclerotic, heart-protecting and weight-reducing actions that help diabetic people manage blood sugar levels and reduce complications from the disease. A bioactive compound, Curcumin in the spice helps in the prevention and treatment of diabetes.
• Drinking a cup of turmeric tea regularly is advised for diabetic patients.
3. Cayenne Pepper
The capsaicin in this spice can help veins and arteries regain their elasticity, which can normalize blood pressure levels. This helps the blood flow through your body, especially the extremities, where you might have complications from high blood sugar. The super spice not only reduces blood sugar levels, but also blood cholesterol and formation of blood clots that can harm the body.
• Mix half teaspoon of cayenne pepper in a cup of warm water and add a juice of half a lemon and drink it regularly in the morning.
4. Ginseng
The holistic healing properties of the spice ginseng is great for controlling after-meal blood sugar levels. It not only increases the insulin sensitivity but also reduces the complications attributed to the condition as well. It even helps in metabolizing carbohydrates, a common problem among people who have Type 2 diabetes.
• Drinking 1 to 2 cups of Ginseng tea daily is recommended for those suffering from diabetes.
5. Cumin
Here’s one amazing spice that you should start adding to your dishes if you are suffering from Diabetes. Cumin can lower both blood sugar and cholesterol levels. It is recommended to diabetics because it has a positive effect on advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which are lipids or proteins that are harmful to the body and so damaging in diabetes.
• Drinking cumin tea regularly is recommended for diabetes patients.
6. Cloves
Powerful tasting and highly aromatic super spice cloves make an excellent addition to many dishes. According to Ayurveda, this herb is also known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that can help diabetics lower their blood sugar levels and stay healthy.
In fact, studies have shown that consuming just one to three grams of cloves each day can help both manage glucose and cholesterol levels. To get cloves in your diet, add the herb to your cooking or drink it as a tea.