Will Intermittent Fasting Lower Blood Sugar?

Will intermittent fasting lower blood sugar? More and more people are starting to practice intermittent fasting. This rise in practice is providing us with even more weight loss results. But there are health issues that people are concerned about before they start fasting. One of them is blood sugar.

Some people need to monitor their blood sugar levels, and that could cause concern, especially if you are monitoring your blood sugar and are interested in intermittent fasting.

Will intermittent fasting lower blood sugar? The benefits of intermittent fasting are vast, like weight loss and impact on blood sugar levels, too. Diabetes is a very serious health condition, and the one thing it affects the most is diet.

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People with diabetes need to make sure that they monitor what they eat and when they eat it because it could cause health issues. That is why everyone is asking, will intermittent fasting lower blood sugar?

The question is valid, especially if you want to lose weight but are also diabetic. Luckily, there is an answer and even research that backs the results.

Will Intermittent Fasting Lower Blood Sugar?

Our digestive system breaks down the food we eat, and it ends up in our bloodstream. One of the food types that we eat, carbohydrates, can only be absorbed into our cells with a hormone called insulin, which is produced in the pancreas.

Insulin delivers sugar to our fat cells, so we don’t use it all; our body stores it as fat. Further, if your body doesn’t create enough insulin to meet the carbohydrates in your blood, your blood sugar levels will rise.

If your blood sugar levels are too high or you are at risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes, you might wonder what you can do to lower your blood sugar without medications or even without a strict diet.

Intermittent Fasting

One of the methods of lower blood sugar that has become popular is intermittent fasting. The idea is that without even changing what we eat, as long as you spend a prolonged period of time not eating anything, your insulin levels with decrease.

This will cause our fat cells to release stored sugars to be used as energy, essentially burning fat and reducing blood sugar. Is this the case? In short, yes, especially if you are looking to lose weight or are at risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes.

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If you already are a Type 2 Diabetic, you should always speak with your doctor first. Intermittent fasting improves your body’s sensitivity to insulin and lowers your blood sugar.

That is the theory behind the answer to whether intermittent fasting lowers blood sugar. But there is scientific evidence as well.

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The Research

Researchers wanted to know whether intermittent fasting will lower blood sugar. Research supports the theory that changing the timing of your meals and fasting will reduce blood sugar.

The New England Journal of Medicine found that fasting essentially “flips the switch” in your body, improving metabolism, lowering blood sugars, and even reducing inflammation.

Will Intermittent Fasting Lower Blood Sugar a Plate of Steamed Veggies Including Carrots, Broccoli, and Tomatoes

University of Alabama researchers also conducted a study comparing several forms of intermittent fasting where all meals fit into an early period in the morning.

One group was given a 16/8 fast, and the other a 12/12 fast. The results showed that the group given the 16/8 fast had significantly lower insulin levels.

Recently, scientists have also found that intermittent fasting results in lower pancreatic fat as well. This could actually help the faster prevent the development of Type 2 Diabetes.

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The Results are in

What we can take from this is that, yes, there is evidence suggesting that intermittent fasting can and does lower blood sugar. The key is what type of fasting you should do.

The best way to start might be with a simple form of intermittent fasting. Eating all of your meals within an 8 to 10 hour period of time and starting earlier in the day, like 7 am, seems to be the best approach.

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The longer the fasting period, the better your body is prepared to deal with more volume of food. The result will be improved blood sugar levels and possibly even weight loss.

So, will intermittent fasting lower blood sugar? Yes.