This spice is known to be stimulating, digestive and diuretic.
Taste-wise, spices are everything: we love them to enhance the flavor of our dishes or add a touch of exoticism, not to mention that they are incredible concentrates of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. True allies of intestinal health and digestion, they promote the absorption of nutrients, can help reduce oxidative stress, body fat and improve heart health. One of them, known to be stimulating, digestive and diuretic, would have a particularly interesting effect on blood sugar levels, particularly in type 2 diabetics.Its high levels of thymoquinone (one of its active ingredients, editor’s note) can increase insulin sensitivity, thereby lowering blood sugar“, explains Dr. Lina Velikova, clinical immunologist to the media SheFinds.
The positive effect on blood sugar levels of this spice has been repeatedly proven by science. A clinical trial, the results of which were published in the journal Complementary Therapies in Medicine, showed that its consumption in the form of oil for 40 days led to a significant reduction in fasting blood sugar (-17.84 mg/dl on average) and glycated hemoglobin (-0.71%), a measure that allows assess blood sugar levels over the past three months. Concerning the daily quantity, researchers agree that 2 g/day was the optimal dose to hope to have benefits on blood sugar levels, the equivalent of a level teaspoon.
This famous spice originating from the Middle East and used in cooking for thousands of years is none other than cumin, which we love for its aniseed and slightly lemony flavor. Know that there are three varieties of cumin: common cumin, mountain cumin (called “sermontin”) and black cumin (commonly called nigella) and it is the latter which would have the best benefits on the blood sugar, the researchers specify. So what are you waiting for to add it to your dishes in sauces, meats, hummus, guacamole… whether in whole grains, in ground form or in oil?