DOCTOR’S NOTE
REPLACING potatoes and rice with pulses can lower your blood glucose levels by more than 20%, according to a new study by the University of Guelph in Canada.
Substituting half a serving of rice with lentils caused blood glucose to drop by up to 20% while replacing potatoes with lentils led to a 35% drop.
O a 35% drop.
Furthermore, these swaps can significantly improve your body’s response to carbohydrates by making you more sensitive to insulin.
Pulses, such as lentils, can slow digestion and the release of sugars found in starch into the bloodstream, ultimately reducing blood glucose levels.
Alison Duncan, the study’s lead author, said: “This slower absorption means you don’t experience a spike in glucose. Having high levels over a period oftime can lead to mismanagement of blood glucose, which is the hallmark of Type 2 diabetes. Essentially, eating lentils can lower that risk.”