For lovers of infusion or “herbal tea”, know that certain plants help reduce the absorption of glucose and stabilize blood sugar levels. One of them is particularly effective. “Let’s be clear, a single cup of herbal tea will make absolutely no difference to your glucose level, unless it replaces a glass of soda or fruit juice, then you will immediately notice the difference. We are talking here about daily consumption to have a real benefit on blood sugar levels. Obviously, you do not add any sugar, or false sugar (lollipop or stevia for example), or flavoring.” specifies Dr Pierre Nys, endocrinologist-nutritionist in his book “L’Alimentation Glucose Control” (ed. Leduc).
Blood sugar is the level of sugar in the blood. Stable blood sugar levels – neither too low nor too high – help maintain good body balance and a regular weight. Conversely, unbalanced blood sugar levels (with “big peaks”) can lead to health problems, particularly on the cardiovascular level. Excessive fluctuations in blood sugar also promote weight gain, loss of energy and mood swings. They are also associated with diabetes.
The plant proposed by Dr Nys has a low glycemic index (25, compared to 68 for white sugar for comparison) and has good hypoglycemic effects. “It acts by slowing down the transformation of carbohydrates into simple glucose (sugar) then the passage of this same glucose into the blood (which avoids the famous “blood sugar peaks”)“, continues the endocrinologist. Several scientific studies showed that this plant could modulate intracellular pathways of glucose metabolism. Concretely, a component of this plant would be capable of regulating the formation of glucose transporters (called GLUT-4), which would stabilize blood sugar levels. Furthermore, its tannins can lower glucose absorption by inhibiting the effectiveness of carbohydrate enzymes. This inhibition limits the absorption of sugars.
To lower your blood sugar level, you should have blueberry leaves, according to the endocrinologist. Infused alone, they already have incredible benefits on blood sugar levels. But combined with other plants, the effects are maximized. Here is the recipe for a special blood sugar infusion proposed by the herbalist Caroline Gayet in her book “I make my herbal teas that heal” (ed. Leduc): mix 20 g of blueberry leaves + 20 g olive leaf + 20 g of burdock root + 20 g of Robert geranium and 20 g of cinnamon bark (cinnamon balances glucose). Infuse 2 tablespoons of this herbal mixture for 50 cl of water for around ten minutes and drink it at a rate of 25 cl at lunchtime and 25 cl in the evening before meals, every day for a 3-week treatment. per month. If in doubt about possible contraindications, seek advice from a pharmacist or your doctor.