Find out which vegetable is ideal for diabetics due to its hypoglycemic effect, since it manages to stabilize blood sugar.
Diabetes is a chronic, silent disease of glucose metabolism characterized by high blood sugar levels.
This is one of the health complications that is of greatest concern in Spain, as it is estimated that around 5 million adults suffer from diabetes. Furthermore, its chronic condition means that it can last for a long time, even worsen, and cause other problems, such as cardiovascular pathologies.
Glucose comes from food, so the best way to stabilize blood sugar levels in people with diabetes is to control what they eat and in what quantities. In this sense, fruits and vegetables are great allies to regulate the blood sugar profile.
Based on this, one of the foods that helps keep insulin levels stable and glucose under control is the nopal: a vegetable that is an ally due to its hypoglycemic properties.
Nutritional properties and benefits of nopal
The nopal is a plant that belongs to the cactus family and provides therapeutic benefits thanks to the presence of important nutritional properties.
This vegetable has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties due to its high content of polyphenols, polysaccharides, flavonoids, vitamins, fibers, polyunsaturated fats, and proteins.
These nutritional properties give the nopal various health benefits, including
- It regulates blood sugar levels due to its high content of amino acids, fiber, and niacin, compounds that help prevent spikes in blood sugar.
For this reason, nopal is one of the vegetables most recommended to be included in the dishes of people with diabetes, since its hypoglycemic effect helps stabilize blood glucose levels.
- It reduces bad and total cholesterol because this vegetable improves the metabolism of fatty acids, which helps reduce lipid levels.
- It helps you lose weight, as it is a filling food rich in fiber. In addition, it only provides 16 kcal per 100 grams.
Effects of nopal to regulate blood sugar levels
According to the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS), nopal helps control diabetes and prevent episodes of hyperglycemia, thanks to its hypoglycemic effect.
That is, the IMSS confirmed that this vegetable can stabilize and regulate blood sugar levels.
Likewise, scientific evidence supports the rational use of nopal in type 2 diabetes .
In this sense, a study suggests that the consumption of nopal would be beneficial in people with fasting blood sugar levels equal to or greater than 126 mg/dl, without reaching glucose values equal to 200 mg/dl.
Another condition that this work indicates is that patients should not present all the diagnostic criteria for type 2 diabetes, such as obesity.
Another finding of this report is that the nopal favors the gastrointestinal absorption of cholesterol, lipids, and glucose, reducing the concentration of these substances in the blood due to their fiber content.
How to consume nopal to regulate blood sugar levels
The prickly pear is a very versatile vegetable. Its edible parts are the flowers, the seeds, the fruit (known as tuna,) and the leaves. It can be eaten whole or used to prepare jams, essential oils, and capsules. To regulate blood sugar in people with diabetes, some clinical trials suggest consuming 500 grams of nopal.
This amount is enough to obtain the polysaccharides, soluble fiber , such as pectin, and other substances present in this vegetable, which help control insulin and blood sugar levels.
