Diabetics face an important task: to increase the insulin sensitivity of muscle tissue cells and reduce it in fat cells. This requires regular monitoring of insulin levels, proper nutrition and exercise. For convenience, doctors have developed special tables in which the insulin index of food products is calculated. Let's take a closer look at what these tables are and how to use them.
What foods contain insulin?
Research has shown that some foods contain a natural insulin analogue. When consumed, it is possible to prevent sudden surges in blood sugar.
The list of products containing natural insulin includes:
- Jerusalem artichoke;
- cinnamon;
- blueberry leaves.
We recommend reading: Cinnamon: beneficial properties and contraindications
The phytohormones they contain have a positive effect on the process of glucose absorption by the body's cells. Under their influence, sugars supplied with food quickly penetrate the tissues and become a source of energy. Thanks to this, hyperglycemia is avoided.
For preventive purposes, it is recommended to consume 300 g of boiled or baked Jerusalem artichoke daily. You can replace it with ¼ tsp. cinnamon or tea made from blueberry leaves. In the absence of metabolic disorders, it is not necessary to include these sources of phytohormones in the diet.
Jerusalem artichoke is considered a source of phytoinsulin; it is recommended for patients with a predisposition to type 2 diabetes mellitus
The right products. Proper nutrition diet.
Recommendations from a nutritionist about the benefits and harms of food for the human body... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soTCx1BUPNc
Older people should not eat oatmeal and semolina... The glycemic index of semolina porridge is off the charts and there is no benefit from it.
Pearl barley porridge is a very healthy porridge for those who have bronchitis and inflammation of the bronchial system.
Oatmeal – Oatmeal contains a certain acid that blocks the absorption of calcium and promotes leaching of calcium from the bones. You can eat oatmeal only for 2 weeks, after which you take a 2-week break.
Fats that form the least amount of carcinogens when frying are a combination of melted lard and sunflower oil.
Flaxseed oil contains a lot of OMEGA-3 fatty acids. But it goes rancid very quickly, oxidizes in air and becomes a very toxic product.
Omega-6 is found in sunflower oil
Omega 9 is found in olive oil
Omega-3 is absorbed only in the presence of Omega-6 and Omega-9.
You need to buy oil for food - 1 extraction.
Refined oil is the lowest quality oil.
Butter is responsible for the production of unique substances in the body - prostaglandins. Which are responsible for the immune response. The number of immune cells depends on the substances prostaglandins, which are produced with the participation of butter.
Margarine is very harmful to the body and blood vessels, it causes atherosclerosis and clogs blood vessels.
Palm oil has replaced margarine...
Chicken egg - the white of the egg consists of pure protein - protein, and the yolk is made of fat - it contains ideal proportions of cholesterol and lecithin, which affects the formation of good and high-quality cholesterol in the body.
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What foods increase insulin in the blood?
Phytoinsulin is found in only a few foods. People who do not have diabetes or a predisposition to developing this disease do not need to change their diet. But the menu should include foods that increase insulin levels and reduce blood sugar concentrations.
Foods high in fiber have a good effect on your health. Its use helps the sugar rise not sharply, but gradually. Thanks to this, the pancreas has time to cope with the load.
Easily digestible carbohydrates cause a rapid rise in sugar. This process triggers the work of beta cells, which are responsible for producing insulin. But at the same time, eating such food in large quantities increases the concentration of glucose in the bloodstream.
Over time, beta cell function deteriorates and tissues become insulin resistant. Carbohydrates that enter the body cease to be a source of energy. Glucose from them is not absorbed by cells, but circulates in the bloodstream for a long time. Therefore, consuming foods that cause the release of insulin and an increase in sugar levels contributes to excess weight gain and a deterioration in general condition.
Warning! Doctors do not recommend consuming easily digestible carbohydrates. They increase the load on beta cells and provoke the development of metabolic disorders.
To normalize the condition, it is necessary to include foods with a low glycemic index in the diet. Vegetables, legumes, mushrooms, meat, fish, and dairy products have a positive effect on health.
In cases where the body's insulin response is weak, cells stop absorbing glucose. Its concentration increases, and the patient develops diabetes mellitus. In the initial stages of the disease, the condition can be stabilized with proper nutrition.
Hormone-lowering foods
If insulin levels are elevated, you will have to go on a special insulin diet designed to lower the level of the hormone in the blood. There is no universal program for reducing hormone levels, but there are a number of recommendations that doctors give to their clients who decide to eat the right foods. In this case, preference should be given to those products that have a reduced glycemic index, and therefore all those listed above are not suitable for nutrition. Their place should be taken by:
- Chicken and turkey, rabbit. It is better not to fry, but to stew, bake or boil meat without using a large amount of salt or spices;
- Cereals, including products based on them. Among the leaders are oats, pumpkin seeds, sprouted wheat, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds;
- Dairy and lactic acid products, but it is important that they are low-fat;
- Vegetables and greens that are high in fiber. This is the one that should be preferred;
- Some varieties of nuts.
Diabetics and those who are at risk for a dangerous disease should adhere to proper nutrition.
Table with foods that increase insulin in the blood
When forming a diet, you should pay attention to the insulin index. It shows how the intake of certain foods increases the content of hormonal substances in the blood that are produced by the pancreas.
To increase insulin concentrations without harm to health, you should include foods with a low glycemic index in your diet. But at the same time, it must stimulate the production of a hormone that is necessary for the absorption of glucose.
Product | Glycemic index | Insulin index |
Yogurt | 62 ± 15 | 115 ± 13 |
White rice | 110 ± 15 | 79 ± 12 |
Ice cream | 70 ± 19 | 89 ± 13 |
Grape | 74 ± 9 | 82 ± 6 |
Cornflakes | 76 ± 11 | 75 ± 8 |
Potato | 141 ± 35 | 121 ± 11 |
Oranges | 39 ± 7 | 60 ± 3 |
Sugar drops | 118 ± 18 | 160 ± 16 |
Baked beans | 114 ± 18 | 120 ± 19 |
We recommend reading: Potatoes: beneficial properties and contraindications
Foods that promote insulin production dramatically increase blood sugar levels. Therefore, it is better to minimize their amount in the diet.
Insulin is produced by beta cells of the pancreas, its production begins when carbohydrates and proteins enter the body
You can normalize the production of the hormone and prevent the development of diabetes by eating fish, beef, nuts, and dairy products. Their insulin index level is higher than the glycemic index. They stimulate beta cells, but do not increase sugar.
Why do you need to compare GI and AI?
The concept of “insulin index” was first proposed by Australian nutritionist Janet Brand-Miller. She conducted experiments on 38 products, the serving size of which was 240 kcal. People in the study ate a specific food and then had their blood tested for sugar every 15 minutes for 2 hours. To calculate the AI, the results were compared with the insulin surge caused by eating 240 calories of white bread. As a result of research, it turned out that in most cases GI and AI are the same.
Some carbohydrate-free products were amazing in their size. For example, meat, eggs and fish, whose GI is 0, caused an insulin response from 30 to 115. While durum pasta with a GI of 38 has an AI of 40.
An unexpected discovery was the behavior of dairy products. Yogurt especially distinguished itself: with a GI of 35, its insulin index is 115 units. The exception in the dairy group is cottage cheese. His GI and AI are 30 and 45 units respectively. Scientists still cannot explain what causes such a difference in the performance of dairy products. Moreover, there is no evidence that their use contributes to weight gain.
Therefore, for most people, except insulin-dependent diabetics, when planning a diet, you should focus on the glycemic index of foods. However, you should not completely neglect AI readings, since increased production of the hormone depletes the gland. As a result, a malfunction occurs, and the body begins to accumulate fat instead of using the existing one.
TOP 10 foods with a high insulin index
The production of a hormonal substance by the pancreas is triggered in cases where the body receives foods that raise insulin in the blood. The TOP 10 includes:
- candies (sweet dragees);
- chocolate bars;
- potato;
- White rice;
- sweet yogurt;
- White bread;
- baked beans;
- ice cream;
- cookie;
- cake.
There are other foods that stimulate beta cells.
Comment! Not only carbohydrate foods, but also protein foods increase insulin. For example, sharp jumps in levels will occur when eating low-fat sweet yogurt.
Function
When figuring out which foods contain insulin, you should consider why the body needs it in the first place. This is a hormone required for metabolic processes, ensuring normal energy metabolism in tissues, cells, organs, and systems. One of the most well-known functions is the reduction of glucose levels, for which it is transported into cells and tissues. Insulin is also involved in the following physiological processes:
- Ensuring the digestibility of amino acids by cells;
- Reduced rate of lipid breakdown and processing;
- Delivery of magnesium and potassium to tissues, ensuring the processes of fatty acid production.
If the substance is within normal limits, it is possible to maintain optimal lipid and hormonal balance in the body, as well as timely delivery of all valuable minerals and components to the cells and tissues of various organs.
How to raise insulin in the body with foods
Carbohydrates quickly increase the level of pancreatic hormones. If you make buns and potatoes the basis of your diet, you can provoke the development of insulin resistance. This is a condition in which hormonal substances are produced in large quantities, but the cells become insensitive to them. A person develops type 2 diabetes and becomes obese.
Foods high in insulin include not only sources of phytohormones (earthen pear, blueberry leaves). The list also includes low-fat protein foods.
Recommended reading: What are the benefits of pears?
Doctors recommend focusing on:
- lean meat - beef, chicken, turkey;
- sources of vegetable protein - legumes and their derivatives;
- dairy products;
- vegetables rich in fiber.
For example, a beef steak contains no carbohydrates, but produces the same insulin spike as a serving of grain bread. This reaction of the body is due to the fact that this hormone is involved in the production of new proteins and the absorption of amino acids. When eating meat, the concentration of glucose in the blood remains almost unchanged.
Eating carbohydrate foods in combination with protein quickly increases insulin levels. Milk rice porridge or cottage cheese with sugar will work this way. Studies have shown that the insulin response to a combination of proteins and carbohydrates is 127% higher than when the body receives glucose alone.
You can increase insulin production with dairy products. The maximum release of the protein hormone is observed when consuming sweet low-fat yoghurts and curd masses. But its excessive amount provokes the development of metabolic disorders. Gradually, the cells become insensitive to the pancreatic hormone, and insulin resistance occurs. This leads to obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Sugar-containing low-fat yogurts and cheese curds can provoke the development of hyperinsulinemia
It is advisable to include foods containing insulin in your diet only on the recommendation of your doctor. This is necessary for people whose pancreas produces hormones in insufficient quantities. In the absence of metabolic disorders, it is best to adhere to the principles of proper nutrition.
Insulin index of butter. Food Insulin Index Table
In our article we have presented the most suitable products for people suffering from diabetes.
We also bring to your attention the insulin index of food products. The table is based on a serving of bread made from wheat flour, weighing 20 g, energy value 240 calories and carbohydrate content - 12 g. The same amount of calories and carbohydrates corresponds to 26 g of bread made from rye flour. 20 g of bread is half a piece, approximately 1.2 cm thick, cut from a regular rectangular loaf. The insulin index is a number that shows how much insulin the body produces in response to carbohydrates obtained from one serving of a given food. Excess insulin is transformed into adipose tissue. Insulin index of food products
peanut | 20 |
cottage cheese | 30 |
bird eggs | 31 |
rolled oat porridge | 40 |
pasta made from wheat flour, durum type | 40 |
cow cheese | 45 |
muesli mix | 46 |
lean beef | 51 |
lactose | 50 |
popcorn | 54 |
whole grain bread | 56 |
peas and lentils | 58 |
apples, Antonovka type | 59 |
fish, such as tuna | 59 |
citrus | 60 |
potato chips | 61 |
dark rice | 62 |
yeast dough buns fried in oil | 74 |
fried potatoes | 74 |
corn flakes | 75 |
puff pastries with filling | 79 |
milled rice | 79 |
bananas | 81 |
biscuit dough confectionery | 82 |
grape | 82 |
cookies for beer | 87 |
ice cream | 89 |
whole milk | 90 |
shortbread pastry | 92 |
rye flour bread | 96 |
dairy products | 98 |
wheat flour bread | 100 |
fermented milk drinks | 115 |
bean soup | 120 |
Boiled potatoes | 121 |
chocolate candies | 122 |
caramel | 160 |
Yogurt is doubly healthy if combined with cucumber
Eating foods that do not provoke a surge in blood sugar levels and the release of insulin is considered reliable insurance against the occurrence of insulin resistance syndrome. This metabolic disorder occurs when tissues lose sensitivity to the hormone. The consequences are bleak: obesity and a whole bunch of diseases.
An unexpected way out of this dilemma was found by Swedish researchers Elin Yustman, Helena Liljeberg Elmsthal and Inger Bürk. They published the results of a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in which 10 volunteers took part. Scientists have found that although yogurt and other products made from fermented (fermented) milk have a high insulinemic index, when combined with another source of organic acids (pickled cucumbers played this role in the experiment), they reduce the rate of insulin release even if together with They eat white bread, this example of absolute insulin evil. Whole milk and fresh cucumbers, which is typical, did not have such an effect (no matter how ironic this food tandem may look).