What BREAD Does to Your BLOOD SUGAR & INSULIN | Dr. Mandell

By rjoachim | April 3, 2023

The good news is that most people can eat bread unless a doctor advises otherwise. However, it should be the right kind of bread.

Whole-grain breads with high-fiber ingredients, such as oats and bran, are usually the best option for people with diabetes.

Making bread at home with specific, diabetes-friendly ingredients may also help reduce the impact that bread can have on blood sugar levels.

Type 1 diabetes happens when the body cannot produce insulin, a hormone that “captures” blood sugar (or glucose) and transfers it into cells. Glucose is the preferred energy source for cells.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. This is also the easier form to prevent and manage with lifestyle changes and medication. Taking measures to control blood glucose levels in the early stages can help prevent this condition from progressing to diabetes.

Poor diet, genetic factors, and lifestyle habits contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes.

Nutrition plays a crucial roleTrusted Source in diabetes control. Proper dietary planning, lifestyle choices, and medication can help a person manage their blood sugar levels.

Carbohydrate is one of the three major nutrients essential to human health.

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) explain that the GI compares the way foods raise blood sugar levels compared with a reference food, usually glucose.

Glucose is a reference point for the GI with a score of 100. White bread would score around 71.

Foods that do not contain carbohydrates, such as meats and fats, do not have a GI score.

Low-glycemic foods score 55 or less and include:

  • 100-percent stone-ground whole-wheat or pumpernickel bread
  • oatmeal (rolled or steel-cut)
  • pasta
  • sweet potato, corn, yam, lima beans, butter beans, peas, lentils, and legumes
  • non-starchy vegetables and carrots
  • most fruits

Medium-glycemic foods score 56 to 69 and include:

  • whole wheat, rye, and pita bread
  • quick oats
  • brown, wild, or basmati rice
  • couscous

High-glycemic foods score 70 or more and include:

  • foods made with refined grains, such as white bread, bagels, pretzels, saltine crackers, and many breakfast cereals
  • white rice and rice pasta
  • popcorn
  • russet potatoes
  • pumpkin
  • melon and pineapple
  • When bread uses yeast to rise, it usually needs some sugar to “feed” the yeast.
  • Some commercial breads contain more sugar than is necessary to make the bread rise.
  • If you make bread at home, whether by hand or in a bread-making machine, you can experiment with smaller amounts of sugar.
    • https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/311036#improving-the-glycemic-index-of-bread
Posted in Diet & Nutrition