5 Foods to Regulate Blood Sugar Naturally

The food you eat directly affects your blood sugar and glucose levels, with some ingredients causing sharper increases than others, leading to subsequent drops.

While blood sugar is a major concern for people with diabetes, prediabetes, and other health conditions, managing spikes can benefit everyone by improving mood, concentration, and energy levels.

Diet plays a crucial role in long-term blood sugar management, but can food immediately lower your blood sugar during a spike? Here's what you need to know.

Carbohydrates, in their various forms, are converted into glucose during digestion, increasing blood sugar levels. Individual responses to carbohydrate intake vary, influencing the speed of glucose elevation.

While certain food combinations can help stabilize blood sugar, few ingredients can rapidly decrease glucose. It's more beneficial to monitor how meals affect your glucose levels and identify ingredients that promote stability.

There are strategies to minimize food's impact on glucose response. Combining a balanced diet with healthy habits can help regulate blood sugar levels.

"Physical activity or meditation can lower elevated glucose levels caused by carbohydrate intake," explains functional nutritionist Dana James, M.S., CNS, CDN. "Taking apple cider vinegar before meals can also reduce glucose response."

Pairing certain foods can help regulate blood sugar levels, slowing down the spike and enabling a more gradual decline. "Adding animal protein, fat, and fiber to the meal will also slow the glycemic response," James adds. Below are our top, expert-favorite foods for keeping blood sugar levels stable:

It's widely acknowledged that including protein in your diet is an excellent way to fuel your muscles and energy levels, and regardless of whether you follow a plant-based or meat-eating diet, these foods are also great for maintaining blood sugar levels.

"Diets rich in protein lower your blood sugars after you eat and balance your insulin much better in the long run," explains integrative medicine doctor Bindiya Gandhi, M.D. "Protein can be in the form of animal or plant-based including salmon, nuts, eggs, hemp seeds, chia seeds, lentils, and legumes."

Instead of solely consuming a carb-heavy meal, try including a serving of protein on your plate for the sake of your blood sugar. "Adding animal protein to your meal will help mute the glucose response the most," notes James. "For instance, adding chicken to a salad sandwich will produce a lower glucose response than just eating a salad sandwich. Similarly, adding wild salmon to a grain bowl will mute the grain bowl's glycemic spike."

Fibrous foods are, on the whole, beneficial for your body. An added advantage? They can also support healthy blood sugar levels. "Fiber keeps you full and in numerous studies helps you balance your blood sugars. A high-fiber diet [helps with] improved blood sugar balance and the concentration of lipoprotein or cholesterol in diabetic patients," explains Gandhi. To achieve your fiber goals, she recommends incorporating chia or flaxseeds, legumes, lentils, or any leafy greens into your diet.

If you enjoy cooking with herbs, fenugreek, a delicious plant related to clover, can help balance blood sugar levels. While Gandhi notes it's not ideal for lactating mothers because it may affect milk supply, this herb is an excellent, easy addition to your diet. "A diet rich in fenugreek improved the glucose tolerance test as well as reduced urinary glucose and improved total cholesterol and triglyceride numbers respectively," she explains.

Try adding it to your roasted veggies, homemade pasta sauces, or even soups for a sweet and nutty flavor with blood sugar-regulating benefits.

Cinnamon is another great spice for managing blood sugar levels. Gandhi says, "In two studies, cinnamon modestly reported improving blood sugar in small patient sample sizes. Although it's not the standard of care, it is recommended to use [for] a healthy diet and lifestyle."

It's even easier to incorporate into your diet than fenugreek; throw some cinnamon into your morning oatmeal, add a serving into Greek yogurt, or even measure some into a fiber-rich smoothie to keep your energy levels stable and avoid glucose spikes.

As James mentions above, pairing apple cider vinegar with your meals can help regulate glucose spikes and maintain healthy blood sugar levels. "ACV is often touted to help in weight loss as well as blood sugar balance. Regular consumption does aid in improving glycemic control as well as improved oxidative stress in patients with diabetes and high cholesterol," explains Gandhi.

It's perhaps not the most appetizing flavor in the world, but with 1 to 2 tablespoons each day, the benefits are undeniable. 

Your options aren't limited just to your diet when it comes to regulating blood sugar. Here are our favorite tips:

Although paying special attention to your blood sugar should be a priority for people with diabetes, taking note of what you're eating can help to prevent a glucose spike, in turn regulating your energy levels, mood, and even hunger. "Sometimes people who experience a blood sugar spike may feel 'buzzy'—a little jittery or anxious, or like they're a bit out of balance," Wendy Bazilian, DrPH, RDN, previously told mbg.

If that's the situation, it's beneficial to be more deliberate about your food combinations. This way, you can provide your body with the right energy and prevent the inevitable slump afterward.