Endocrinologist shares 3 'healthy' foods that spike blood sugar levels faster than a chocolate cake
Don't always go by the face value! Supposedly healthy foods also contain risks of blood sugar spikes. Know how you can modify them.
Sugar spike is often viewed to come from ‘visually unhealthy’ foods. Based on sight, it usually includes chocolate, cake, pastries, or anything that appears too ‘sugary.’ Because of this appearance's sake, one may be cautious of foods like these, which appear overly sweet, limiting the intake.
But here's the oversight, conventionally healthy-looking foods escape the scrutiny, even when they raise blood sugar just as rapidly.
Addressing this, New Jersey-based endocrinologist, Dr Alessia Roehnelt, shared 3 healthy foods that raise blood sugar faster than chocolate cake and how one can modify them to make them better. She revealed that a chocolate raises blood sugar in the range of 38–45, which is low to moderate. But the other ‘healthy foods’ which she highlighted spike the blood sugar much higher, in the range of 60s to as high as 90s.
1. Instant oatmeal packets
The first one she warned about is the instant oatmeal. Oats are often the first pick for a healthy breakfast, but which one makes all the difference? As per the endocrinologist, the ones which are instant oats are highly processed, and they cause a very rapid blood sugar spike.
How do you make it better then? Here's Dr Roehnelt's suggestion,"If you combine the instant oatmeal with maybe some milk, instead of water, you are gonna add some fat and protein that is gonna slow the blood sugar rise." Instant oatmilk's spike level is one of the highest among the foods she mentioned: 79–83.
2. Oatmilk latte
Oatmilk is chosen over dairy products widely, but how risk-free is it, especially when used for a latte?
“Oat milk is made from enzymatically broken down oats, which actually gives them a very high glycemic index,” Dr Roehnelt said. “When you combine that type of milk with some possible sweeteners in your latte, that's gonna lead to a very high blood sugar afterwards.”
For the uninformed, glycemic index is a scale which evaluates how quickly a food raises blood sugar after eating it. Turns out a latte made with oatmilk is high on this scale. Dr Roehnelt shared the score of 65–75 spike, which is moderate to high. The endocrinologist's recommendation to make this drink healthy was to replace oatmilk with almond milk to lower the glycemic index.
3. Acai bowl
Acai bowl is a thick smoothie bowl with a lot of fruits on top. Visually, it appears very healthy, but shockingly, the blood sugar spike after eating it is one of the highest. The endocrinologist revealed it to be in teh range of 70–90, which is labelled as high.
“These have a very high fruit-to-protein ratio, and then when you add on any type of juices or granola in there, it's gonna raise blood sugar even more," Dr Roehnelt explained why it is high on the glycemic index.
To make acai bowl more nourishing and less prone to spike blood sugar levels, Dr Roehnelt recommended adding a scoop of yoghurt or having some nuts.
So what happens if you continue with these supposedly healthy breakfast picks regularly? Starting your day with them can trigger a rapid blood sugar spike, followed by a crash, as per the endocrinologist. One feels tired throughout the day then.
Note to readers: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them. This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice.
