Adding This to Your Carbs May Decrease Glycemic Levels by 50 Percent

How eating naked carbs may be contributing to your weight gain and how to stop it

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Did you know that white bread contains 20 grams of starch? After eating it, the body transforms that starch into sugar, causing a rapid increase in your blood sugar levels and providing you with a temporary boost in energy. But a higher blood sugar is not necessarily a good thing, especially in the long-term. Your blood sugar dictates the amount of insulin your body produces. The higher the insulin level, the more your body stores the excess sugar as fat. You should aim to keep it at a low level if you want to lose weight.

Carbohydrates tend to have a high glycemic index level, which means they are rapidly digested by the body. However, this means you will need more of it to remain full in the long-term, raising the issue of obesity.

But researchers found that by adding acidic foods to your carbohydrates, there is a drastic change.

Nephrologist Dr. Jason Fung, an renowned expert on diabetes, discussed in a recent video ways in which we can reduce our level of blood sugar when consuming carbohydrates such as potatoes, rice, or pasta. He explains that researchers in Japan have found that adding vinegar to rice, such as in sushi rice, actually reduces the level of glycemic index rate down to 59 compared to 100 in white rice. In addition, they found that eating pickled foods with white rice helped reduce its glycemic level down to about 75.

Other studies have also shown a drastic reduction in glycemic levels when adding lemon juice to carbohydrates. Researchers found that the levels dipped by up to 50 percent, even though they contained the same amount of carbohydrates.

How does adding an acid like lemon reduce the glycemic index of the food so rapidly? Fung says that it’s all because of the way our body digests starch. Researchers studying ways to reduce glycemic levels found that they could slow down the digestion rate of sugar and starch by simply adding lemon juice. They found that by adding lemon juice, only less than half of the starch from the carbohydrate was released compared to nearly 60 percent to 80 percent when consumed without lemon juice.

His explanation is that the enzyme amylase in our saliva breaks down the starch into glucose with the help of the alpha amylase, a pancreatic enzyme. In the study, the citric acid in the lemon juice acted as a natural inhibitor to the salivary alpha amylase, resulting in the starch not being as rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream as glucose.

Next time you eat carbohydrates, try drinking a glass of lemon water alongside it to help balance the negative effects of glucose absorption and boost digestion. This drink is also a popular choice among diabetics.

Similar results were observed in another study involving consuming bread with vinegar. When the participants’ blood glucose level was measured, researchers found a much lower level of both blood glucose and insulin due to the bread not being completely digested. Results also showed higher levels of satiety in individuals who consumed more vinegar with bread than those who consumed less vinegar. This research suggests that consuming pickled or fermented foods alongside regular carbohydrates will slow down the rate of digestion and negate any harmful effects associated with eating carbohydrates. The acid in pickled or fermented food products helps keep starch absorption to a slow, minimum rate. It will also help keep you fuller for longer, curbing your appetite and promoting weight loss.

Low Carb Versus Low Glycemic Food

Low carbohydrate diets promise quick weight loss but it’s important to remember that there are many other factors involved that should also be highlighted.

Research has found that actually consuming a moderate-carbohydrate, low glycemic index diet is better for your health, as well as easier to sustain on a typical Western diet. It’s better to focus on the quality of carbohydrates you are consuming rather than the quantity, which is exactly what a low-glycemic diet does. The lower its glycemic index, the longer the time it takes for your body to break down and digest the food, turning it into glucose. These kinds of foods are an excellent choice for diabetics and individuals wishing to lose weight.

So, what does Doctor Fung recommend? Avoid eating naked carbs! Naked carbs are simple carbohydrates eaten alone. Always try to include some form of acid-based food, like pickles, sauerkraut, or a glass of lemon water, alongside your meals. Doing so will lower your sugar absorption and greatly benefit your health.

Did you know that there are other health benefits associated with pickles and other fermented vegetables? These foods are packed with probiotics which are highly beneficial for promoting good gut health. Make sure you buy pickles that are naturally fermented in a brine of vinegar as these are the best for your health, compared to ones preserved with bacteria, yeast, or other microbes that you usually find on grocery shelves. These don’t carry the added probiotic boost that fermented cucumbers do. However, it’s also good to keep your sodium levels in check by avoiding pickles with too much added salt as this can be detrimental to your blood pressure. Check out natural food stores for some good choices, or even better, make your own pickles by brining them yourself!

Sauerkraut is also readily available in most stores around America and is another good source of probiotics. One cup of sauerkraut provides you with 23 percent of your daily vitamin C and 15 percent of vitamin K. It’s also packed with immune-boosting properties, helping you recover faster when sick. When choosing store-bought sauerkraut, avoid ones that include preservatives as some of these can kill the good bacteria present during fermentation. The same goes for pasteurized sauerkraut. You can usually find good sauerkraut in refrigerators inside natural food stores.

To boost gut health and keep your blood sugar down, try including these fermented foods alongside your daily meals when consuming carbohydrates.