Managing blood sugar is important for everyone, but it’s especially important for those with diabetes or at risk of developing it. What you eat will directly impact how your blood glucose rises and falls throughout the day. With that, understanding which foods cause dramatic fluctuations is important. Here are 12 worst foods for your blood sugar.
12. Dried Fruit
While it seems like a healthy snack, don’t let its concentrated sugar fool your blood sugar. When fruit becomes dehydrated, its water is removed, leaving a much higher concentration of sugar and calories. Many of these commercial dried fruits are also coated with even more sugar for an added flavor and preservation.
11. Coffee Drinks
Your daily coffee run may be behind your blood sugar spikes. Many popular coffee drinks, such as lattes and mochas, are loaded with sugar. Just imagine that a flavored iced coffee contains 30 grams of sugar or more, and it is already comparable to a can of soda. Sadly, even black coffee can be problematic for some, as the caffeine can impair the body’s insulin sensitivity. It’s making it harder for your cells to absorb the sugar from the bloodstream.
10. Ketchup
Ketchup may not be as sweet, but a single tablespoon already contains 4 grams of sugar. That’s like sprinkling a teaspoon on your burger and fries! Just imagine that the American Heart Association recommends a daily limit of 6 teaspoons of sugar for women and 9 for men. That ketchup squirts sure add quickly!
9. Fat-Free Yogurt
Watch out for that fat-free yogurt marketed as the healthier choice. When manufacturers remove the fat from yogurt, they add extra sugar just to compensate for the loss of flavor and texture. It means that a simple serving can contain as much as 20 grams of sugar, which is more than five teaspoons. Instead, opt for plain Greek yogurt that is higher in protein and has no added sugar at all.
8. Fruit Juice
Modeled as a healthy alternative to sugary sodas, fruit juices aren’t all as they seem. Why? When a fruit is juiced, the fiber gets stripped off, which leaves a concentrated source of sugar quickly absorbed by the bloodstream. For instance, an apple has 4 grams of fiber, while the juice has zero. That lack of fiber means there’s nothing to slow down the absorption of sugar, leading to a rapid spike.
7. Breakfast Cereals
We hate to break it to you, but your breakfast cereals, even if they’re whole grain, have hidden sugar and refined carbohydrates. They’re highly processed, which means that your body breaks them down quickly and causes rapid spikes. This is especially true in the morning when your insulin sensitivity can be lower. When choosing your cereals, read the label and look for options with 5 grams of fiber and no more than 6 grams of sugar in each serving.
6. Banana
While bananas are a good source of potassium and vitamins, they can be tricky for blood sugar management. A large banana has over 25 grams of carbohydrates, and its ripeness impacts its effect on blood sugar. Also, its ripening converts the starch into sugar, making the fruit sweeter. Be mindful of their ripeness and portion size, especially when trying to manage blood sugar levels.
5. White Rice
Rice is a staple in many diets, but it’s found to be a highly refined carbohydrate. This means that when they’re broken down into sugar, they cause a rapid rise in blood glucose. You don’t really need to give up on rice; instead, cool it after cooking to increase their resistance to starch content. It’s a simple trick that can lower its impact on blood sugar.
4. White Bread
That harmless slice of bread is found to cause hypertension. It suggests that the rapid rise of your blood glucose is caused by refined carbohydrates like white bread. Therefore, it’s a contributing factor to high blood pressure.
3. Grapes
Like bananas, grapes are also among those healthy fruits that can be a source of sugar. Why? They’re high in natural sugars and low in fiber, which means that they’re digested and absorbed into your bloodstream. The comparison of blood glucose responses is also associated with insulin resistance.
2. Artificial Sweeteners
Artificial sweetener is not a safe alternative to sugar. Yes, they don’t contain calories, but they still raise blood sugar levels. The sugar substitute erythritol is associated with increased risk of heart attack and stroke, which challenges the long-held belief that artificial sweeteners are a healthy alternative to sugar. Still, there are a whole lot of studies needed to learn about its actual long-term effects.
1. Ultra-Processed Foods
Ultra-processed foods, from diet sodas to packaged foods, are the worst kind for your blood sugar. We’re talking about all the synthetic flavors, added colors, emulsifiers, artificial sweeteners, and other artificial ingredients that may be to blame. Even “diet” or “healthy” versions are among them. Yup, they’re bad news alone when it comes to health, so it’s not surprising to know that they’re the worst for your blood sugar.