Apple cider vinegar can reduce blood sugar

Food for thought

It’s just been announced that apple cider vinegar can reduce blood sugar. And while it’s a big surprise to the scientific community, it’s certainly not to those of us who live in the world of practical, complementary medicine.

Here’s something else we know that they don’t: Apple cider vinegar alone or combined with other foods, such as grapefruit or kelp, may increase weight loss. It may also help with arthritis, asthma, colitis, food poisoning, and gastrointestinal and skin problems.

I’m glad we’re on this topic today, because I often neglect to report on simple foods that can help in our fight against obesity and high cholesterol. And of course, diabetes and pre-diabetes.

The potential benefits of apple cider vinegar are linked to several different mechanisms of action. Including antimicrobial properties and its acidity. It’s this acidity that may help lower blood=sugar levels.

So, let me tell you about the study. Because it’s so rare that science evaluates what is traditionally referred to as “folklore” medicine.

In this study, apple cider vinegar was given to diabetics at each meal. And guess what, it brought their blood-sugar levels down. And even more importantly, it lowered their HgbA1c levels. In pre-diabetic patients, it was shown to decrease insulin resistance–finally, a way to shed the fat around your midsection.

So, maybe there is a little something to the old adage “an apple a day…”

In sticking with our food-related theme today…I also recently read a report on popcorn that left me speechless. And NOT in a good way. It’s like something out of bizarro world!

According to this report, popcorn–this useless, high-glycemic indexed, food with no nutritional value at all– may have higher levels of antioxidants than some fruits and vegetables. On what planet!?!

And according to the lead researcher (who, by the way, was paid by a popcorn company), it’s the fiber, whole grains, and antioxidants that make popcorn “the king of snack foods.”

First of all, popcorn is not a whole grain, it’s a starch. Second of all, don’t get me started on the myth of fiber being good for you (that’s a whole topic for another time). And third, the antioxidant claims are overblown hype.

They ground up the hull and the fluffy stuff and found polyphenols (a type of antioxidant) in the hull. Well, that’s no surprise, considering polyphenols are found in most plants.

But, what happens to the polyphenols after the hulls are microwaved or infused with fake butter? And how much is actually absorbed by the body…considering we know that corn just “passes through.” Of course, it turns out that is currently being investigated by the USDA and cereal maker Kellogg’s (there they go again–trying to promote food that grows in America and not food that is actually good for us).

The truth is–popcorn is the last thing you should be eating if you have any weight or blood-sugar problems.

Think about it…if they use corn to fatten up cattle and chickens before slaughter, what do you think it’s going to do to you?


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