Sweet Alternatives
for Blood Sugar Balance

From The July 1999 Issue of Nutrition Science News

By Monika Klein, C.N.

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Imagine a person eating his or her body weight in sugar. Sound unhealthy? The average American eats about 150 pounds of sugar per year in the form of sodas, candies, cookies and other sweets. Excessive consumption of refined carbohydrates—the body turns foods such as pasta and bagels into simple sugars—is also a culprit in what some people call sugar shock.

Sugar shock develops when we give ourselves that sugar "buzz." It occurs after the consumption of too many simple sugars, which go directly into the bloodstream and wreak havoc with blood-sugar levels. After the inevitable crash, the body again craves sugar to boost energy, resulting in an unhealthy spiral. Complex carbohydrates, such as those found in beans, fruits and vegetables, are digested more slowly, thus providing a more sustained sugar supply. Unfortunately, our modern diet is pervaded with simple or refined sugars. And the repercussions go beyond the buzz and bust of wildly fluctuating blood-sugar levels.

When blood sugar is too low, the adrenal glands secrete the hormone cortisol and the pituitary glands secrete adrenocorticotropic hormone, both of which in turn stimulate the liver to release glycogen (in the body, sugar is converted and stored as glycogen). In healthy individuals, this system works beautifully; however, when it is dysfunctional, these swings can create problems. Too much or too little of either hormone stresses the body. For example, an overconsumption of highly refined foods, especially sugar and white flour, can affect the pancreas' ability to regulate blood-sugar levels through insulin secretion, possibly leading to potential disease states, chief among them Type II diabetes. [1]

A historical dietary study by researchers at the Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism at the Prince of Wales Hospital in Australia found certain world populations, particularly the Pima Indians of Arizona, adapt well to low glycemic carbohydrates. The glycemic index is the rate at which glucose is absorbed from food; the lower the better. But when introduced to a modern diet of refined carbohydrates, the Pima developed hyperinsulinism (excessive blood insulin). [2]

The problem arises because, although sugar cane and sugar beets come from the earth, modern-day refining processes leave an unnatural sugar form remaining. With sugar, or refined sucrose, 90 percent of the fiber and protein of the natural plant is removed. More to the point, healthier sweetening alternatives provide steady energy because they take longer to digest.

Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana), for example, is a South American herb that, in its extracted form, is more than 200 times sweeter than sugar—though the Food and Drug Administration, due to legal battles, has not approved its use as a sweetener, only as a dietary supplement. Other natural sweeteners include honey, molasses, brown rice syrup and barley malt syrup. Of course, fresh fruit is also a healthy form of natural sugar.

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Beneficial Supplements

Since sugar, in whatever form, is pretty much a fact of modern life, supplements can help address blood-sugar challenges. The following herbs and supplements may restore a body compromised by too much sugar by balancing sugar metabolism, cravings and blood-sugar levels and blocking sugar absorption.

L-Glutamine is an amino acid that has been shown to prevent the development of glucose regulation problems. A rat study at Duke University in Durham, N.C., examined the effects of L-glutamine on blood-glucose regulation and found the addition of a 2 percent L-glutamine infusion into rat chow prevented any change in the rats' plasma glucose and insulin levels when consumed. [3]

Chromium Nicotinate is an important mineral that helps regulate blood-sugar levels. In a recent study, 180 men and women with Type II diabetes were divided into three groups. Each supplemented twice daily with either 100 mcg chromium picolinate, 500 mcg chromium picolinate or placebo. They maintained their existing eating and lifestyle habits. After four months, fasting and two-hour glucose levels were significantly reduced in the 500 mcg group, while fasting and two-hour insulin values were significantly reduced in both chromium groups. [4]

Gymnema sylvestre is an Indian Ayurvedic herb commonly used by diabetics. Animal tests and in vitro assays suggest that gymnema extracts suppress intestinal absorption of saccharides, which prevents blood-sugar elevations. A 1997 Japanese animal study of gymnemic acids from Gymnema sylvestre leaves looked at the effects of nine fractionated extracts on blood glucose in guinea pigs and rats. Two fractions suppressed the elevation of blood glucose by inhibiting glucose uptake in the intestine. [5] This study shows promise for Gymnema sylvestre

Most blood-sugar challenges can be met by eliminating food culprits and adding alternatives, beneficial supplements and a whole-foods diet, along with proper exercise.

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Monika Klein, C.N., runs a private nutritional counseling practice in Malibu, Calif., and is the television host of Total Health Talk.

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References

1. Salmeron J, et al. Dietary fiber, glycemic load and risk of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus in women. JAMA 1997;77:472-7

2. Colagiuri S, Brand Miller JC. The metabolic syndrome: from inherited survival trait to a health care problem. Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes 1997;105 Suppl 2:54-60.

3. Ballard TC, et al. Effect of L-glutamine supplementation on impaired glucose regulation during intravenous lipid administration. Nutrition 1996 May;12(5):349-54.

4. Chromium Nicotinate vs. Chromium Picolinate
Chromium and Exercise Training: Effect on Obese Women
Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1997 (Aug); 29 (8): 992–998

5. Shimizu K, et al. Suppression of glucose absorption by some fractions extracted from Gymnema sylvestre leaves. J Vet Med Sci 1997 Apr;59(4):245-51

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