The Surprising Food That Can Cut Your Blood Sugar By Half, According to Registered Dietitians

Having a balanced diet can be tough for anyone, but we all know that for people with diabetes, it’s not only harder, but even more crucial. The good news? A recently resurfaced study reveals that one common ingredient may cut blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes by a whopping 50 percent.

Here’s what the ingredient is as well as what else is important to know about the study—because, well, miracles truly are rare!

Related: Doing This One Thing Every Day Could Lower Your Risk of Dementia, According to a Cleveland Clinic Neuropsychologist

What Food Can Cut Blood Sugar In Half?

According to the study, first presented at the Endocrine Society’s 97th annual meeting, a compound in onions, Allium cepa, was shown to drastically reduce high blood sugar levels in rats with diabetes when used with the diabetes drug metformin.

The compound is found in onion bulbs.

“Onion is cheap and readily available and has been utilized as a nutritional supplement,” study researcher Dr. Anthony Ojieh, MBBS, MD, MSc, explained. “It holds potential for use in treating patients with diabetes.”

🩺 SIGN UP for tips to stay healthy & fit with the top moves, clean eats, health trends & more delivered right to your inbox twice a week 💊

Are There Caveats to the Study on Onions and Blood Sugar Levels?

Yes, there are.

For one, the study was only done on rats—and only 50 of them in different groups, sorted by diabetic and non-diabetic rats. Some groups received only metformin and no allium cepa, others received no medicine or allium cepa, and others received varying doses.

What’s more, the allium cepa was shown to be correlated with weight gain in non-diabetic rats in the study.

“Onion is not high in calories,” Dr. Ojieh said. “However, it seems to increase the metabolic rate and, with that, to increase the appetite, leading to an increase in feeding.”

Dr. Ojieh also admitted they don’t really know how the onion extract works, noting, “We need to investigate the mechanism by which onion brought about the blood glucose reduction. We do not yet have an explanation.”

However, there may be more evidence to explain this since the study first went public.

“The flavonoid in onions, quercetin, is believed to aid in the uptake of glucose from the bloodstream into cells, thereby improving insulin secretion,” Kim Shapira, MS, RD, tells Parade. “Quercetin is a fat-soluble compound that helps unlock the cell membrane, potentially increasing its concentration within cells.”

Related: ‘I’m an OB/GYN—This Is the One Food I’m Begging People to Eat Less of Post-Menopause’

What Are Other Health Benefits of Onions?

The good news is that whether or not they end up being a factor in a potential miracle drug for diabetes, onions are great for you in a lot of ways and may end up protecting you from diabetes indirectly.

“Onions are packed with essential nutrients, including vitamin C, folate, B vitamins, potassium and fiber,” Shapira says. “They also contain various beneficial plant compounds and antioxidants, such as anthocyanins, quercetin, sulfur compounds and thiosulfates. These properties make onions excellent for protecting our cells from diseases like diabetes, heart disease, cancer, gut imbalances and the common cold and flu.”

According to Shapira, onions have also been shown to lower risks for cancers, as well as to lower blood pressure and promote eye and gut health.

Shapira notes that the current recommendation for daily servings of onions is about 100 grams, or 3.5 ounces.

“One study found that consuming 3.5 ounces of raw onions per day significantly reduced blood sugar levels,” Shapira pointed out. “The research suggests that raw onions may help manage both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.”

Related: How To Lower Blood Sugar Levels Naturally

Are There Any Downsides to Eating Onions?

Besides bad breath? Maybe, depending on your individual health history.

“Onions may not be suitable for everyone. Many people who already experience digestive distress may find that the prebiotics in onions can be more irritating than beneficial when they start consuming them,” Shapira told us. “If someone begins to experience bloating, gas or cramping, I recommend trying both raw and cooked onions to see which is more tolerable. Additionally, remember to chew your food thoroughly; inadequate chewing can prevent the proper breakdown of fibers, potentially leading to digestive discomfort.”

Up Next:

Related: Exactly How Many Avocados You Should Eat a Week for a Healthier Heart, According to New Research

Sources

• Kim Shapira, MS, RD
• The Endocrine Society. “Onion extract may improve high blood sugar and cholesterol.” ScienceDaily